


The Hand That Holds Courage

by PseudoTwili



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-15
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2018-04-14 22:39:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 101,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4582779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PseudoTwili/pseuds/PseudoTwili
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every legend has its beginning. A hero must be born and grow from infancy before he saves the world. A hero cannot exist by himself; he is shaped by the people close to him, those individuals who influence his life and his outlook upon it. Most of all, he must have courage. This is the story of a boy who grew up to hold courage in his hand, of the people he met and the journey that made him a hero. (Novelization of Ocarina of Time)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This is just one of three consecutive novelizations that I am planning. I hope to post updates fairly often, as I will have to work around the tasks that life has seen fit to throw into my path. Anyway, I should probably stop jabbering and let you get on with the story. I hope you enjoy this tale.
> 
> A thank you to Narita and ElindielForestStar for proofreading for me.
> 
> All Legend of Zelda characters, places, etc. belong to Nintendo, obviously. Everything else otherwise unclaimed is mine.

"Who comes to this forest without my permission? This is a sacred place that none may invade!"

The guardian of the woods received no reply from the woman who had not energy to rise from the ground, and yet she protected something within the arch of her weary body.

"Speak thou, now!" he commanded, his voice silencing all other noise about them.

"P-Please… I cannot… go on…"

"If thou dost mean no harm, then no harm shall come to thee. What dost thou carry?"

She raised her head just a little, revealing the small, blue-eyed face of a baby wrapped in several cloths; the infant was whimpering pitifully and so exhausted and wounded was the mother that she could barely make a move to comfort him.

"Why hast thou come here, Hylian woman?" the great tree enjoined her; he already had knowledge of her desire, but he wished that she should say it.

"My son… P-Please… can you… t-take care of him…? There is war… and blood… and I am dying… Please…"

"Thou did well to bring him here. Fear not, he will be safe in this place until his time comes to venture into the world. I sense that he is a child of destiny; his courage will determine the fate of this land."

Those words of prophecy likely did not bring solace to the heart of the ill-fated woman; all she could be glad for was the promise of safety for her son. As life slowly ebbed from her, she kissed her baby and murmured one last thing into his tiny ear, "Link… I love you… my little boy… Grow up strong… show this world… not to tear itself apart with war…"

And there she passed from this mortal coil, her head pressed against her baby's and her arms circled around him.

~O~

The Great Deku Tree was quite a powerful being; he always knew everything that happened within his domain and exactly when it happened. He was not without eyes, nose, mouth, and even a mustache that changed position when he talked or blinked or otherwise moved his rough bark face. He stood at least at least eight times greater in size than the largest trees in the forest and his roots extended to the borders of the woods and at least a mile underground. He possessed hundreds of millions of miles of roots of a hundred thousand different sizes, from as thick and tall as a hundred Kokiri to tinier than a single hair. He never moved from the clearing in which he'd been situated for far too many hundreds of years for even him to count (he was actually a bit sensitive about his age and didn't wish to know the exact number, anyway). His deep, bark-lined voice could boom out and cause the staunchest forest creature to cower and blanch in fear, or it could a gentle as the rustle of leaves when a breeze dances through them. He did not often have the need to interfere in the everyday lives of the Kokiri, but when he did his decisions were quick, just, and wiser than anyone could comprehend at the time.

The Kokiri Village was the mostly contented, bustling place where the forest children dwelt, worked, played and sometimes fought. It was situated just to the west of the Great Deku Tree's glade; all one had to do to have an audience with the Deku Tree was traverse a several-yard-long tunnel of trees, the sides of which were so thickly grown that not even a bird could slip between them, and enter the guardian's meadow. The entire forest seemed to be alive with magic and even the air tingled with it. Magic-fed fireflies danced in the air whether it was night or day; they darted out of reach if anyone came close, which typically prevented the Kokiri from capturing them. Often ringing through the air were the shouts of children trying to catch the elusive creatures.

"I want to fill my home with fireflies!"

"I almost caught that one! I was so close!"

"I'll catch one and give it to you, Saria. What do you want to do with it?"

"All I want to do is look at it. They must be so beautiful… Then I'll let it go right away because I couldn't keep it shut up!"

"Fado, go find fireflies of your own! This area is mine!"

"I caught one! …No, I didn't. Hee hee! Fooled you!"

"You're so fast, Morie. I bet you could get one!"

"Why do the fireflies glow like that?"

"Look! Link caught one! Ahh! He's going to eat it!"

Dotting the entirety of the village were great trees that seemed like babies when compared to the guardian spirit of the forest; it was inside these that the children lived. As many as three Kokiri were housed in separate rooms and at different levels of a single tree. Each dwelling had a generous balcony directly outside the doorway. Strung between these various homes were quite a number of rickety, rather crude bridges and from them dangled nearly as many ladders as there were children. Every Kokiri moved into his own house when he reached an age that the Deku Tree deemed as responsible enough to live alone, which was always a proud moment for that child who had graduated.

The trees were covered with an abundance of moss, lichen, and fungus; the outside of the homes were decorated with something personal for each youngster. Some used forest paint, made from clear sap and colored with various plant materials that were so strong they could permanently stain clothing. Other children fastened a keepsake or some such thing above or around the doors of their homes. It could be anything from a 'sword' which looked more like a stick, to a finely crafted bow and even an assortment of perfectly matched, clear-white pebbles. Some of the girls liked to take long vines, braid them and adorn their doorways with fresh, verdant rope.

Green-haired Saria, who was the most popular girl in the forest, if only because she was modest, quiet, and kind to everyone, and who was Link's best friend and protector, had something very special firmly set on pegs above her doorway. When she moved into her second-level house, she pondered long and diligently about what she should use as decoration for the exterior. At last she determined the perfect thing and the other girls queried her as to her decision.

"What are you going to put over your door, Saria?"

"It's going to be something pretty, right?"

"Would you like some of the vines we've picked?"

The youngest Kokiri (at that time) replied most politely, "No, thank you. That sounds like a nice decoration, but I have a different idea. I'm going to see the Great Deku Tree."

There were some puzzled expressions and curious whispers as she trotted off to their guardian's meadow. She stood before him, not daring to raise her eyes to his great face.

"What dost thou desire, young one?"

Saria clasped her hands, first in front of her and then behind her back. Her fairy landed upon her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Go ahead and ask him. He won't bite you, sweetie."

Shyly, the girl raised her eyes and murmured, "Could I… Could I have one of your small branches, Great Deku Tree?"

"Why dost thou want one of my branches, my child?"

She lowered her eyes once more and clasped her hands over her chest. In a voice so faint that her fairy had difficulty distinguishing the words, she said, "I want it so I can think of you even when I can't see you."

A very strange thing took place as soon as those words passed the Kokiri's lips. A rumble came from behind the closed mouth of the guardian spirit and a single, sacred tear of gigantic proportions fell upon the ground before him. Alarm suddenly filled Saria. Had she done something to offend him?

She drew closer and inquired tremulously, "What's wrong Great Deku Tree? Did I say something bad?"

"Dear child, thou hast shown a love for me greater than any other. Thou wilt always find favor with me." He let loose one of his best, greenest branches and presented it to her almost as if she were older than he. "Take it, my daughter. It will live as long as I do."

"Oh, thank you!" Saria breathed.

In an exhilarated daze she returned home, the branch clutched to her chest with skinny, trembling hands. She would always keep the words of the guardian spirit of the forest locked in her heart, only to be thought of and mulled over in private. The branch, which would forever serve a reminder of the Deku Tree's love, was always in its precise spot above the portal to Saria's dwelling.

In the village, the forest floor was by no means neat and orderly. Perhaps the biggest factor in this delightful disarray was the stream that meandered in whatever direction it pleased, which happened to be straight through the heart of the village. It was quite the fickle tributary, for in some places it would laugh and gurgle against the ankles of young feet, while in others it would lie deeply and stealthily for an unsuspecting wader who would receive a good dunking. Over the years, the Kokiri developed an awareness for the tricks of their stream and created simple, rough wood pathways over the swirling green depths. A great many fish made their homes in that body of water, which provided the ever-hungry children with another source of nourishment.

Aside from the abundant quantities of scrub grass, moss, ferns, and patches of flowers that grew everywhere, there were stumps that had been made smooth by countless years of meeting with the seats of every child in the forest and from being used in King-of-the-Mountain-type play, as vantage points for intrepid explorers or brave warriors, and just about every other game imaginable. Toys and even tools were too often left out and sometimes were ruined because of the owner's carelessness; the guardian fairies had to often remind the children to take better care of their possessions.

Any stones just lying about were quickly removed, so as not to be a hazard for flying feet, but also because of the scattering of large rings of soot-blackened rocks, encircled by anywhere from fourteen to thirty log seats; these were common eating places for the Kokiri. They often threw every consumable thing they had nearby into a clay cooking pot and let it simmer until they were too hungry to wait any longer. The ever-differentiating hodgepodge of ingredients nearly always made an edible stew, though there were a few instances in which the goulash was initially accepted but then forcibly rejected. It was experience that taught the children not to combine anything halfway decent with old fish heads, rotten quail eggs, green-eyed potatoes, molding squash, and everything that was much too unripe to digest properly.

Every container and utensil, save the earthenware cookery, that the Kokiri owned was made of wood. Their bowls and plates, for instance, were extremely durable; a wooden dish could be thrown in anger, accidentally dropped from nearly any distance, or stepped upon, and still be just as serviceable for the next meal. The rather flat spoons and two-pronged forks were continually being lost and almost as often found again, sometimes in the most peculiar of places. Barrels and tubs were what the children used to store their harvests; some of these could be found in their dwellings, but most of them were tucked away in the immense root cellar that the children shared.

More than just a few pranks were implemented in that dark, earthy space. It was not uncommon for one of the youngsters to enter the cellar to fetch a morsel of food for immediate consumption or the stewpot and dash out again, trembling and pale of face. Any of the small creatures of the forest could be used for the practical jokes, from frogs and snakes to worms and economy-sized beetles. Despite living in the woods, those small surprises still managed to spook the children, especially the girls, when encountered in a near absence of light.

"It was a snake! It slithered over my foot… Ugh!"

"Are you sure you didn't catch your foot on a root, Ile?"

"How horrible! One time Dobo put beetles in the cellar and they got in my hair! I washed it really well right away!"

To the north of the village was the dark, infrequently-traveled part of the forest dubbed as the Lost Woods, which stretched for miles upon miles. None of the children knew the full extent of that northern section, but had they gone exploring they would have discovered that the somber trees and creepy atmosphere were forced into termination by sheer cliffs of ragged gray rock. Going east from the settlement of children brought one quickly to the glade of the Great Deku Tree; to the west was a maze of more forest that eventually thinned into the plains, and on the sunny southern slopes with clearings containing very few trees, the Kokiri applied their skills at gardening.

Some of the children could only get their vegetables to grow through what seemed to be pure luck, while others had the veritable green thumb. Saria was one of the latter; she cared for all her plants like they were children. She watered them with such gentleness that they could have been made from glass, plucked the weeds before they had a chance to unfurl their first true leaves, and was always gathering various, mostly dead materials from the surrounding area with which she fertilized her plants. Her vegetables were looked upon as being the best, the hugest and the most delectable. Her biggest problem was to keep a tiny Link, who excelled at playing in the soil but not at gardening, from uprooting her plants.

When he was hardly more than a baby Saria would place him in a spot which was conducive to being torn up by childish hands, but he would always gravitate toward her and wherever she was cultivating her vegetables. It was a common occurrence for her to turn around and find him in the midst of removing her spinach, or clawing out an area in which she'd just planted seeds.

"Link, no! Don't pull that out!"

He always had the look of a whipped puppy when she scolded him. She could never be perturbed with him for long, especially when he said, "I'm sowry."

The few small trees that grew, sedately and sparsely, between gardening lots served as most welcome shade after working in the heat of the sun. Bordering the vegetables were fruit trees of as many varieties, colors and shapes to satisfy even the unpredictable children. Another source of deliciousness was the berries that grew wild and with vines creeping up and over every surface within the forest. There was nothing Link enjoyed better than to stuff his face full of thimbleberries, blueberries, or blackberries and other edible berries, though he had a couple of narrow escapes when Saria found him in the nick of time and kept him from eating the tiny, poisonous fruits.

In order to keep the forest animals from getting to their carefully planted vegetables, the Kokiri had long ago erected a fence around the whole garden, and the guardian fairies cast a special spell that worked wonders at keeping unwanted creatures from that area. Sometimes a rabbit or a deer would get through, which someone nearly always noticed before much munching of the precious produce could commence. Even the friendly goats that provided both wool and milk for the children were carefully trained to steer clear of the garden.

From the time when Link was little he loved to hear Saria relate to him everything she knew about the Kokiri Forest, the neighboring Lost Woods, the Deku Tree, and the Kokiri themselves. He was a most inquisitive boy and always had to ask, "Why?" Saria was the sweetest girl imaginable. Even after she'd shouted at Link because he'd been swinging his stick and upset her water pitcher for the eleventh time, scared the fish from the stream, or tromped all over her newly sprouted carrot seedlings, she could not refuse those baby-blue eyes and adorable face when he pleaded for a story.

"The Great Deku Tree is our father," she would tell Link when he was old enough to understand most of what she told him. "He knows everything that happens here. He has roots all over the place! Those roots are really big at first and they get smaller as they reach out to the different parts of the woods. Imagine a humongous net of roots that is spread through the entire forest. He has contact with all the trees and flowers, bushes, and even the grass. That's why our gardens do so well; it is because the Great Deku Tree touches them and gives them courage and strength to grow as big as they can."

Link had seen this for himself. When Saria and the others turned up the soil to plants their seeds, tiny roots would move out of the way, as if by magic, and then move back into position as the dirt was returned. The plants would always start poking their tiny, barely green leaves from the rich soil within a day or two; it was such rapid germination that no one could boast of such a thing anywhere else, though the Kokiri had no knowledge of how blessed they were.

When Link was old enough to wonder about where he came from and where all the children of the forest originated, Saria told him another story. He first broached the subject by inquiring, "Saria, did I come from a seed?"

She was spreading some dead leaves with bits of moss in them around her cabbages and cauliflower and the question caught her unawares. She sat back on her heels and said, almost dumbly, "What?"

He repeated his question. Saria decided to take a break and explain the subject to him. She brushed off her hands, stood, and, taking Link by the hand, led him to the nearest shade tree, whereupon she expounded upon the matter.

"A Kokiri is born when the spirits of the forest are most active and the magic in the forest is so thick in the air that a new little soul is born. It only happens once in twenty or thirty years and it's always in the holy part of the forest, in that glade across the gorge behind the Great Deku Tree. A fairy, chosen by fate, is right there when that tiny bit of baby with a brand new soul comes to life. The infant isn't fully developed yet, so the Great Deku Tree causes a very particular type of flower to grow right up and around the new child and its huge, moist petals cover the baby, one by one. The special flower has stored in its stems and roots a lot of air and sap-milk, produced by the lady trees of the forest, both of which are pumped to the infant to nourish it. The guardian fairy oversees this and makes sure the nothing goes wrong. Once the baby has grown so big that its head is starting to open the flower, the Great Deku Tree takes it out, breathes the life that runs through his veins into it, clothes it in the green of the forest and leaves it in the care of its guardian fairy. The other, older Kokiri help out with the child until he can fend for himself."

Link would usually ask exuberantly, "Did you see me come through my flower?"

"No, sweetie," Saria told him. "We don't normally get to see that. When I first saw you, you were cuddled up against the Great Deku Tree, sleeping. He had already put you in the green clothes that we all wear."

"But I didn't have a fairy."

"Well, no, but that's because you're special. The Great Deku Tree said so, and that we have to take the best care of you."

"Will I ever have a fairy of my own?" he would always inquire, sadly.

"I'm sure you will," was always Saria's reply, but she never told him of her concern regarding that subject.

Never had a Kokiri been without a fairy and for Link not to have been bestowed with one upon his birth was a strange thing indeed. For that very reason he was frequently made sport of and jeered at by the others. Much of the time Mido was the one who led the teasing, or at the very least he was the instigator in tormenting Link.

Mido was the self-appointed leader of the forest-dwelling children. He was one of the elder Kokiri, having existed in the woods for a great many years, though Saria was even older than he. It was partly for this reason that the other young villagers had a great deal of respect for him, but it was also because he was something of a bully. He was also a natural-born leader, to the degree that caused those to whom he gave orders to mutter things behind his back about how bossy he was. He made sure that each of his peers took a stint at tending their community garden and he simply did not tolerate slackers. He had a bit of a crush on Saria and the fact that she mothered and spoiled Link and gave him treats that she should have saved for a hardworking boy like Mido made the latter quite jealous.

Saria was kind to everyone, which naturally included Mido. It was his habit to accompany her on a stroll on warm evenings. Knowing her affinity for plants and the like, during their excursion he would point out some pretty little thing that he'd noticed in the forest—rainbow mushrooms growing upon a tree, the first buttercups in the meadow, or a nest with perfect eggs so closely watched by the mama bird—which nearly all the time Saria had already observed but was too polite to embarrass him by telling him so. He took pleasure in presenting her with a flower at some point before they returned from their walk; Saria would smile, thank him sweetly and tuck the blossom into her hair. What annoyed Mido to no end was that Link would repeatedly get a hold of the blossom. Why did she let the little brat play with the flower that he so specially gave her? He would grit his teeth and form plans to be especially nasty to Link the next time they crossed paths.

Mido had two pals who were almost constantly in his company. Their names were Dobo and Mazu and whatever their friend did, they followed suit. If Mido wanted to aid Saria in pulling rocks and weeds from a new garden plot or to pick fruit what would require climbing high into a tree, those two boys were inducted into service, not because they wanted to help but because they didn't dare to cross Mido. If he wanted to go fishing, to go to the edge of the Lost Woods to snare some quail for dinner, or lie around and tease little Link whenever he came by, Mazu and Dobo were only too pleased to join. If there was one thing Saria would not permit it was picking on Link; she was as protective of that young boy as a mother bear is of her cubs.

Link would react to the antagonism in varied ways; sometimes he would yell insults right back at his tormentors and stomp away. If the name-calling and degradation caught him in an unstable mood he would, as likely as not, strike out at whoever was closest, usually Mido, which normally ended up with him sporting any or all of the following: a black eye or two, bloody nose, split lip, and bruises, especially on his knuckles. Other times he would pretend that he didn't hear the cruel words, but Saria knew that they hurt him deeply.

On more than one occasion she discovered him in some hidey-hole, sobbing and crying his little heart out. In an instant she was by his side and pulled him into a tender embrace. Link bawled into her shoulder and all she could do was hold him. Only when his sobs had subsided did Link notice extra drops falling upon his arm; he gazed up at his best friend and saw that her eyes were also wet with tears.

"Wh-wh-why do you cry?" he blubbered.

Saria sniffled. "It's because I'm sad. I can't stand to see you hurt."

"I'm n-not useless, am I, S-Saria?"

She released him from her trembling grasp and gently lifted the chin that still dripped with tears. "Listen to me, Link. You are the most special boy there ever was! You mustn't listen to those… those jerks!" She hugged him again and muttered under her breath, "Oh, they are going to pay for this!"

Saria wiped away his tears and then her own with her green, herb-scented handkerchief. Her ire was reaching a boiling point; the more she thought about the cruelty of Mido and the others who teased Link, the angrier she grew. She marched directly to the offender and insisted, nay ordered, an apology, which the aforementioned other party sullenly gave.

Saria was always more tolerant and even kinder to Link after an episode like that, as if she was trying to make up for the spitefulness of others by spoiling him. She gave him three extremely generous handfuls of thimbleberries, instead of the usual one, for dessert and didn't object when he left most of the kale on his plate. She let him play with her doll, which was very special because her fairy, Estelle, had made it and given it to Saria on her birthday. She also told him almost any tale he wished to hear.

Link's favorite narrative was the one that he learned to call the 'spooky story', but for some reason Saria would never use that one right before he went to bed. She always began in a very hushed voice, so quiet that Link felt it was ominous. "The Lost Woods were once a regular part of our village, but one day something bad happened."

"What?" little Link asked, his eyes as round as apples and the goose flesh creeping up his arms.

"One of the Kokiri rebelled against the Great Deku Tree!"

Link gasped. Who could be disobedient or disrespectful toward their kind, ever-just guardian?!

"Yes, but someone did. It was a boy named Geon. For many years he lived happily with the other children but then something happened to him. Some say that Geon ventured out of the forest and met an evil spirit, which infected him with its wicked ideas. Another rumor is that he found a portal to another world and there found a source of power that corrupted him and made him greedy. His heart was clouded and filled with pride; he would no longer listen to the Great Deku Tree. He thought he was wise enough to rule the Kokiri in place of our father; he even gave himself the title 'Emperor of the Forest." He convinced some of the others that they should follow him in his insurrection against the Great Deku Tree and he built up a little band. They camped in the deeper part of the forest, what we now know as the Lost Woods. The rogue Kokiri sometimes came to the village and attacked their former friends. It was a sad time; some of the forest was burned, many of the children on both sides were hurt in the fire or in the hostilities. The guardian fairies pleaded most urgently with those who had joined Geon, but the evil had already corrupted them, too and they would not listen. Finally, by order of the Great Deku Tree, all the guardian fairies of the disobedient Kokiri left their charges, and then…" Saria paused for dramatic effect.

They were both sitting on stools inside Saria's house and Link's slightly smaller stool was drawn so close to hers that he was bumping into her shins. His feet were drawn up onto the seat, his knees pulled up to his chin, and his hands gripping his legs so tightly that she could see bones through the flesh. She knew without looking that he had goosebumps all over his arms and neck and likely down his back.

"What?" he whispered.

"The Great Deku Tree cursed that area of the woods where the wicked Kokiri were. The curse changed that part of the forest forever." Saria uttered these words in low, forbidding sort of voice that made Link hold his breath for what was coming next. "Whenever a creature with wrong thoughts enters those woods, the curse will slowly make whoever or whatever it is forget who it was. The curse of the Lost Woods will confuse a person trying to find a way out and instills a sense of fear in those who enter with evil desires in mind. Those wicked Kokiri who defied the Great Deku Tree forgot who they were and they hid themselves away in the deepest corners of the forest. The curse changed their appearance; the fear and evil thoughts ate away at their skin until there was nothing left of their flesh. The Great Deku Tree saw their plight and was merciful; he gave them wooden bodies so that they would not die a slow and agonizing death."

Link shivered and looked traumatized, but he loved the story all the same. "Are they still in there?"

"Yes, they are. We know them as skull kids. If you're a good boy, someday I might take you to the entrance of the Lost Woods and we may meet one of them. They are shy at first, because of the fear that is the effect of the curse, but they love fun and can be very mischievous. They are fond of pranks and will try to keep any children who enter to remain with them and become one of them. The Lost Woods can be a dangerous place because evil sometimes finds its way there and there and can't escape because the Great Deku Tree won't let it into the rest of the forest where we live. That is why you must never wander in there by yourself, Link."

"You go in there, Saria," Link said, ever the observant child.

"I do, sometimes," she replied. "But my fairy is always with me and her aura keeps the evil spirits from getting too close. The Great Deku Tree warns us about going in there, but though he does not strictly forbid it we have to take extreme caution so that we don't get tainted by evil like Geon was."

Whenever Link heard that story he was sure he never wanted to go into the Lost Woods, but one day when he was six years old, Saria offered to take him a short distance into that forbidden place and he was quite eager to make the little trip. That was the first time that he laid eyes on a skull kid. Before entering the darker part of the forest, he flourished the stick that served as his sword and told Saria that he would protect her if anything attacked them, but a few minutes later he was clutching at her tunic while she played a jaunty tune on her ocarina. He had been quite keen on the idea of venturing into those woods, but upon actually physically doing so he trembled, with a delightful spark of fear running up his spine till it reached the base of his skull.

Then he saw a wooden face with almost soulless reddish eyes, a mouth that seemed to show too many teeth, even when the owner was not smiling, and nostrils that were nothing more than holes, all crowned by a ragged, orange-red hat. It looked as though the cursed child had worn green garb, as the Kokiri did, but the remnants in which he was attired were mostly covered up by a newer, looser tunic, made from a fabric rather like burlap, which was the same color as his hat. He sported a belt of thin wooden rings tied together; the same round shapes lined the crown of the kid's hat. Link especially noticed the shoes that the skull kid wore—they were orange, too, and they curled up at the toes—he wished he had funny shoes like that instead of the practical boots that Saria made him wear. The wooden child's hands were covered with fingerless gloves that looked like they'd been stitched together using various forest materials, and in one he held a thin reed pipe that he lifted to his mouth and mimicked the song that Saria had just played.

"Hey!" Link exclaimed. "He copied you!"

Saria smiled. "Yes. Remember I told you they like to play? They love those flutes of theirs, too. Every skull kid has a flute that he's made for himself. Just don't make him mad at you or he'll use it as a weapon!"

Now it was the skull kid's turn to rattle off some notes, to which Saria listened closely and then repeated. Link clapped when she was finished, for even he could tell that she had blown every note carefully and perfectly. The game went on for a good fifteen minutes, with neither the Kokiri girl nor the skull kid missing a beat. Meanwhile, Link had overcome his apprehensions, came from behind Saria's back and gave the strange wooden child quite the scrutiny. He became tired of that after a few minutes, though and he began to look around for something else. He glimpsed something shining in the shadows several yards away and left Saria's side to investigate.

Because she was preoccupied, the girl did not notice that her young charge had drifted away, but fortunately Estelle promptly perceived the absence of the boy and immediately gave a warning. "Saria! Link is gone!"

The game with the skull kid ended right there, as the girl hit a wrong note and then immediately jerked the ocarina from her lips. Her musical opponent grinned, said, "I won! You needs more practice!" and then skittered silently back into the dense trees.

"Link!" Saria cried, hysteria rising. Anguished thoughts ran through her mind. I should never have let him out of my sight! I was stupid, stupid, stupid! What if one of those evil forest monsters takes him away? He's so little! He wouldn't have a chance! It's all my fault! I should never have let him come here with me! Images of finding the boy, lying dead on the ground with the life torn from him and blood soaking his clothes, filled her distraught brain as she searched frantically for Link.

"Saria! Wait!" her guardian fairy flew into her face and hovered right in front of the worried blue eyes that were ever-so-rapidly filling with tears.

She was forced to stop and stare at the diminutive features of her fairy. "W-What? We have to find Link, Estelle!"

"Wait just a minute, dear one. What will it profit us if we get separated from each other while we search for the boy? We must stay together and keep calm. I will light the way."

Saria nodded. How grateful she was for the friend who was always by her side! As if by magic, Estelle's glowing aura became brighter and then they continued on through the trees. The forest girl carefully scanned each shadow and behind every rock and bush, all the while continually calling Link's name and trying not to think too much.

While the goddess of time only marked down some few minutes for the span during which Saria and her fairy sought Link, to the distraught girl each second seemed to be multiplied tenfold. When at last Estelle's sensitive ears caught a sound in their tiny recesses, she urged Saria in the right direction. Much to her relief upon hearing it too, the voice that reached her ears was neither crying nor screaming, but was actually laughing, which only intensified as she hurried forward. Then she came around a huge, knotted tree and saw the object of her frenzied search; Link was rolling upon the matted, leaf strewn floor of the forest with a creature that looked to be half cat and half raccoon. The animal seemed to sense the arrival of someone new and unknown and immediately bolted. Link glanced up to discover what had caused the disruption of his fun and upon realizing who it was he assumed quite a disagreeable expression.

Saria rushed toward him and pulled him into an unreciprocated embrace. "Oh, Link! I was so worried when you wandered off! I told you never to go about the Lost Woods without me!"

"Why'd you scare it?" the child asked through lips that were in a full pout.

"That was a remlit, Link. They're usually docile during the day but at night they turn evil. Most of the other creatures in the woods fear it, even though it may be a half or a third of its own size."

"It wasn't hurting me! It liked me. Why'd you wreck my fun? You're mean!"

Saria's patience had worn thin and her perfectly justifiable anger was showing through the relief she'd felt previously. She set her mouth and spoke authoritatively. "Link, you stop that right this instant! You do not talk to me like that! We are going back home right now!"

She grabbed him firmly by the hand and strode resolutely from the Lost Woods. Link balked and dragged his heels in the floor of the forest, but he followed Saria all the same. He did not dare actually disobey her but, being a child, he wasn't about to go willingly. He didn't understand why she was so upset, either. He hadn't done anything wrong, had he? All he did was walk a little distance from her while she was playing her ocarina and he stopped when he happened upon the fluffy, big-eared animal. It evinced how it liked him by licking whatever skin it could reach at the time. It didn't bite him or act the slightest bit antagonistic. So why was Saria towing him back to the village like a naughty little child who had just spoiled her best garden plot?

Upon their return to the Kokiri tree-dwellings she told him sternly, "Go into my house, Link. Play with your toys or something but don't get into trouble and don't leave until I come for you."

Link obeyed sulkily and Saria went to see the Great Deku Tree to tell him of what happened and to ask advice.

"What should I do, Great Deku Tree?" she implored, almost pitifully, when she had told her tale. "I'm not really mad anymore but I can't let him off just like that! He doesn't understand how dangerous the Lost Woods can be! I should never have taken him there!"

"Worry not, little daughter," the guardian of the forest said in a deep, soothing tone that only age can bring. "Bring Link to me and I will talk to him. I will help him to understand."

The little boy had never been in such trouble that the Deku Tree had found it necessary to speak to him about it; during the short trip through the elaborate tunnel of trees that led to the forest guardian's grotto, Link's tummy was twisting itself into pretzels and his legs felt like wilted lettuce. Even though he had been quite annoyed with Saria just a short while earlier, he found himself wishing with all his fickle little heart that she would remain with him and protect him from the lecture and punishment that, deep in the recesses of his soul, Link knew he deserved. She did leave him, though, and there he was, standing alone in front of the gigantic Great Deku Tree, of whom he had never been more intimidated in his entire short life.

"Please seat thyself, little one," rumbled the ancient voice.

Link never forgot that conversation with the Great Deku Tree. He expected a stern lecture about how naughty he had been toward Saria, but instead his father figure used quiet words laced with the love that the guardian had for all his childish charges. The Deku Tree told Link that he was a brave boy and how he would someday have need for great courage; he explained that Link was a child of destiny and though events might seem to spiral out of his control, he was the only one who could decide the path that his life was to take.

The boy's blank expression told the Deku Tree all. "Thou mayest not comprehend all that I say now, but I say that thou shalt understand with time."

Link nodded. His disagreeable mood had disappeared and he even swung his legs back and forth a little as he sat upon one of the Deku Tree's branches. Listening to his guardian's words had made him quite ashamed of the manner in which he had acted toward Saria and he determined to apologize to her later. If only he had a fairy, too, for then surely he would be allowed into the Lost Woods with her or even by himself.

The deep voice broke into his musings again. "Dost thou have a question for me, Link? Thou hast the appearance of one deep in thought."

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"It is my goddess-given task to observe everything that goes on in this forest, but I cannot see into thy mind. Tell me, child."

Link fiddled with his thumbs and then blurted out, "Will I ever have a fairy, Great Deku Tree?"

"Thou dost want a fairy so much?"

The boy's gaze was fixed upon his lap; the Deku Tree used one of his millions of twigs to lift the boy's chin. Link's eyes were filled with discontent and sorrow and the eyes of the guardian of the forest were brimming with something too. His great eyes were mere recesses in his lined face, were of a darker and smoother, almost velvety appearance than the rest of his ancient bark. If eyes are the window to a soul, this was certainly the case; those belonging to the Great Deku Tree had magic constantly running through the brown wood veins in an ever-changing rhythm and pace. Those same eyes were fixed upon Link in an expression so full of love for the young innocent, the kind of love that only a being who has lived for many, many years can fully comprehend.

"Am I selfish for wanting a fairy of my own?" whispered the trembling voice.

"Nay, thou art not selfish for thy desire. I cannot tell thee of all the future holds, but this I know: thou wilt have a fairy."

A grin split Link's face and he bounced up and down on the branch serving as his seat. "I will? I will? Oh, thank you, Great Deku Tree!"

"Thou hast grown into a fine boy, Link. I have decided that thou art ready to dwell in a home of thine own."

That time the boy was so excited that he actually slipped off his perch, which was elevated to the height of his guardian's face and thereby a good dozen feet from the ground. There was a rapid movement from the Great Deku Tree and Link landed softly upon a great many leafy branches, instead of the receiving the hard jolt that he had expected. He let the breath rush from his mouth; he'd been too afraid and it had all happened too fast for him to let it go.

The first words out of his mouth were: "I get my own house? Like Saria and Mido and all the others have?"

"Yes, dear child."

Link scrambled up from the ground where the Deku Tree had placed him. "Can I go tell Saria? Can I, please?"

"Thou mayest do so, young one. Go, enjoy thyself." As Link sprinted away, the forest guardian murmured, "Yes… Enjoy thyself while thou canst, Link. Thy path will be difficult but I know that thy courage will sustain thee."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever started writing something and think it’s going to be so long, but then as you write you elaborate more than you thought you would and you get more ideas, upon which you also have to elaborate? Well, that’s what happened to me as I wrote this, my very first chapter of my very own Ocarina of Time novelization. I did not get nearly as far as I thought I would with this chapter and I was already halfway through my sixth page! I’ve had the idea of writing this in my mind for a while and finally decided it was time to get it off the ground. I must say that I’m really excited about it!


	2. A New Home and Old Grievances

A pair of feet came pounding from the direction of the Deku Tree's grotto, accompanied by an excited voice that yelled something too garbled with shortness of breath to discern properly, save for the name, "Saria!" The owner of the rushing feet suddenly tripped upon a branch or vine hidden in the growth of the forest floor, skinned a knee and elbow, and then scrambled up and continued on his pell-mell run, seemingly ignorant of the large drop of blood slowly cascaded down his leg. The only other mishap he caused before reaching his destination, Saria's house, was to run smack into Mido, who was strutting along, carrying an empty water bucket.

"Watch where you're going, Skull Kid!" the older boy squawked.

Link hated that insult and usually reciprocated with another name or a physical blow, but nothing Mido said could bother him at the moment; he picked himself up for the second time in the space of thirty seconds and dashed the remainder of the way to Saria's second story home. He clambered up the ladder, all the while breathlessly calling his best friend's name. He was much disappointed to find that she was not within and he nearly missed the ladder completely in his haste to meet the earth.

Ile, the girl who lived at almost ground level of the same tree as Saria, emerged from her dwelling to learn what the cause of all the yelling was. She stared as Link scurried down the swaying ladder and then winced as he missed the fifth rung and tumbled the remaining distance to the forest floor. Perhaps he was becoming used to making nose-dives, for he popped right back up with, of all things, a grin.

"Are you okay, Link?" the Kokiri girl inquired, with a wrinkle of concern across her brow.

"Yes!" he gasped. "Where is Saria?"

"I think she went to the garden."

If she said anything else Link didn't hear it, for he was off like a shot again. Fortunately, he managed to reach the community garden with no further mishaps, and there he located Saria, who was tending her little plot of vegetables with her back turned toward him. He had been shouting her name as he ran, but as he approached he noticed that her shoulders were strangely hunched and even shook a bit; Link came around her side and saw a tear drop from her eye like a perfect pearl. Then he remembered what had led up to his interview with the Deku Tree and realized that Saria had only been so concerned about him because she loved him. He felt a pang of conscience and did the only thing he knew to do under the circumstances.

The green-haired girl was slow to turn around when she heard the approach of her little friend because she was trying to compose herself. She was somewhat startled to suddenly find a small pair of arms encircling her waist. Link's grubby face was buried in her tunic as she turned slightly to return the embrace.

"I'm sorry," the boy mumbled. "I'm sorry I made you worry about me, Saria."

Her grip on him only tightened and more teardrops escaped her sapphire eyes. "Oh, Link…" The hug being over, she fished about for her hankie.

"Don't be sad anymore," he pleaded.

She lifted her head and smiled a small smile while she swiped the tears away. "I won't. It's all done and over with now."

For the first time she noticed his rather bedraggled state. His tunic was decidedly begrimed and the lower part of the same was ripped, which just barely revealed his shorts underneath. A single scratch stretched across his left cheek and many more were spread over his arms and legs, both knees and an elbow were scraped and bleeding and a large bruise was forming on the other cheek. He was actually without the floppy, pointed hat he loved so much, the one that Saria could never convince him to take off for a good washing.

She took him by the shoulders and turned him around so she could inspect the damage. "Link, what happened to you?"

"Oh! Oh, yeah!" Link couldn't believe he'd forgotten what he'd raced all that way to tell her! "The Great Deku Tree says I get my own home now!" he crowed and twirled about in an ecstatic little dance.

Saria's first reaction was one of mutual joy for the boy who had been her charge ever since he was a baby. "Really? That is wonderful, Link! I'm so happy for you!"

She was actually a bit sad, too, though she kept that part of it locked in her heart. Ever since he was an infant he had shared her home because he was too young to live by himself. She had curtained off a portion of her room and with the help of a pine-bough mattress, shaped a scented, comfy bed for him. While all the others had gone through a similar arrangement when they were mere babes, Link was perhaps the most fortunate because Saria had taken such a motherly attachment to him; the reason that she tended to spoil him was because he hadn't anyone else, including a guardian fairy. The other Kokiri would perhaps have stayed with several children before they were old enough, but Saria was generally involved with the care of the additions to their village.

"Link, did Mido hit you?" the girl inquired, an eyebrow tilted suspiciously.

He just couldn't quit grinning. "Nope! I bumped into him and he fell down!"

That assuaged Saria's concern and she decided not to chide him for sounding so gleeful over knocking someone over. "Come with me. I'm going to get you cleaned up."

The young boy felt the stinging in his knees but he was still beaming broadly as his best friend took him by the hand and led him to a large, flat rock by the side of the village stream. She bustled to her house and returned shortly with materials that were quite familiar to Link; it was her own herb ointment and small bandages for just the purpose of treating the scrapes of youth. While he squirmed and grimaced, Saria bathed, applied ointment to, and dressed the bleeding abrasions on knee and elbow; she kissed the bumps and bruises and still he wriggled.

The forest girl searched for the missing floppy hat and even when Link had told her of his movements prior to arriving at the garden, she could not locate it. The six-year-old was reduced to pattering around the forest without his adored hat, but right then it bothered him little. He was much too animated regarding the acquisition of his very own home to concern himself with a little matter like losing his headpiece.

A great many years before, when Geon was still happily living with his fellow Kokiri and the Lost Woods were just another part of the forest, the coming of age of one of the children meant that the woodpeckers, squirrels, beavers, and other animals that excelled at pecking, gnawing or chewing on wood took several days to hollow out a new section of tree. This was all done by the order of the Deku Tree. Perhaps the making of those little dwellings was initially hard upon the tree, but the room was only large enough that it would also allow the tree to sustain itself. Over time, the area around each quaint little home would gradually bulge outwards, in order to compensate for that wood it had lost.

Because of Geon's subsequent rebellion and the eventual exile of all the disobedient children, many of the tree houses were left uninhabited. Both the forest and the Kokiri healed from the wounds inflicted during that time of strife, but the empty dwellings were a subtle, sorrowful reminder of what had taken place. In the many years that ebbed away like the slow drip-dropping of water, new babies were born into the forest and slowly were the abandoned homes being filled again.

Link wasted no time in moving into his new house; the one that he chose was the room which, so many years before, had belonged to Geon. While there were other empty dwellings, any of which he could have selected, the reason that he chose that particular one was because the tree in which it was situated was close to Saria's. The other Kokiri, upon the coming of age, had given the place a wide berth because of the rumors that Geon's ghost, or perhaps that the evil that had affected him, still lingered in the home that had been his. Saria always scoffed at the idea, tossed her hair and said that the Deku Tree would never allow such a ridiculous thing.

The doorways of the unused abodes had long ago been sealed off with a layer of sap, soil, and leaves, which naturally had to be removed upon receiving a new tenant. Saria helped him with that process and in cleaning the interior. The boy was very puzzled as to why dust covered everything, but his best friend was ready with an explanation. The homes had sat empty for the time during which Geon and the others waged their little war against their brethren, and it was only after the Deku Tree had uttered the curse of the Lost Woods that he had caused the disobedient Kokiri's homes to be shut up.

Upon completing that little house-cleaning task, Saria aided Link in transporting his few personal possessions to his new dwelling. The wood bed frame that was Geon's was still in the same position as it had been when he slept his last night there; upon it did Saria place the boy's mattress of pine boughs. She presented him with one of her little log stools—specifically the one that he always used. She placed a barrel, three-quarters full of apples, and a bowl of raspberries in the little alcove near the bed. She knew that Link was a growing boy and he enjoyed many a snack at any hour. He held the curtain while she stood upon the stool and hooked the fabric onto the pegs over the doorway.

Saria looked about the simple room. It was mostly circular in shape and approximately twelve feet in diameter; in the very center was a two-foot high, round bit of wood—it hadn't been carved down to the level of the floor—which served as a table. The doorway, with the curtain that she had strung up, was on one side of the room and the bed was nearly opposite to it; a small, diamond shaped window above the bed was the only other means of allowing light within. There was an alcove in the curving wall near the bed, which was where she had placed her gift of raspberries and apples.

"It's a fine home, Link. It's a bit plain right now, but you'll be able to decorate it with whatever you want!"

Link didn't seem to hear her for he was bouncing up and down on the bed, and then he flopped on his back upon the mattress, his arms spread out and that grin still upon his lips. His breath escaped in an extremely satisfied "Ahhhhh!" Just as quickly, he sprang up again, hopped over to the wooden box that contained his meager toys and, upon pawing through it, turned to face Saria with something held behind his back. His expression was like that of a puppy.

"Play with me, Saria?" he pleaded.

The girl had already guessed what he had hidden behind his back; it was obviously one of his stick-weapons and he apparently desired to put on a show of how he could protect his new home. Saria smiled, sighed so quietly that it was just about inaudible, and agreed to be the skull kid who was trying to take over the forest. Link ran out to his balcony, let the curtain drop behind him, and from without he commanded that the 'fiend' show herself.

He played until he was so hungry that he couldn't ignore the gnawing feeling in his stomach. He scrambled down the ladder in search of Saria, who had left him and the game they were playing in order to oversee of preparation of that night's stew. She wanted to be sure that the other children were adding actual food to the stewpot, and not things that were better off being thrown into the rubbish heap.

If there was one thing that thrilled the Kokiri it was festivities; in their village they found many a reason to celebrate, one of which was the graduation of one of their own into a new home. After their meal that night, the children first cleaned up their dishes—Saria insisted upon that—and then gathered around the largest fire ring. They pulled the stumps further away from the flames but only some of them seated themselves. Saria pulled out her ocarina, which she always kept on her person, and began to play a jaunty, rollicking tune. Following her example, others produced flutes and tambourine-type instruments and joined in. Many of the girls had appropriated finely braided vines; they each took an end of one of the green ropes and began to dance with it around the leaping, waltzing flames, in half or quarter circles and with frequent darts around the other dancers. It was quite intricate and yet they managed to keep their lines from tangling. The vines would pass rapidly through the bonfire, but they were wet enough and the action so speedy that by the time all was said and done, the braided ropes were only slightly blackened.

The viewers on the sidelines either stomped their feet or clapped their hands as they sat upon the log seats or stood behind them. The guardian fairies flitted with the fireflies in great arcs and swoops, up and down and all around in the air above the huge fire. Everyone swayed to the lilting tune; even the forest joined in, for the leaves of the trees moved without aid from the wind, the usual chatterings of the animals who usually filled the evening air with their personal songs was stilled, and the whole forest seemed to hum along with the music.

Link was pretty much at the center of attention that night, as it was something of a housewarming party for him. He shrieked and giggled his way through the lines of dancers and beneath their twirling, turning vines, trying to copy some of the steps himself but mostly just improvising. Somehow, miraculously perhaps, there was no collision; the performers managed to weave their way around him or else he just barely missed bumping into them, and the dancers continued their perfect waltz.

The festivities went on for a good three hours; the dancing lasted for more than one, after which the Kokiri busied themselves with roasting potatoes in the bonfire. A great many fingers were slightly scorched by tubers that were black on the outside but soft and delicious on the inside, and every child sported sooty fingers and face. The trick was to keep a nearly cooked potato from falling into the fire, which caused a great many yells, mostly good-natured frustration, and some squabbling amongst the young forest-dwellers.

By that time, Link was getting sleepier by the minute. He picked sluggishly at the bit of potato that Saria gave him; with a bite halfway to his mouth, the boy yawned copiously, placed his head against his best friend's shoulder and dozed. The Kokiri girl was loath to disturb him; she finished her potato and charred and consumed another before she decided to get Link into bed. She shook him, led him to the stream so he could wash his hands and face, and accompanied him to his abode, where she tucked him into bed. He was asleep again in mere moments.

"Good night, Link. Sleep well in your new home," Saria murmured and then tiptoed away, back to the revelry.

The supply of tubers being exhausted, the Kokiri amused themselves by telling ghostly stories. Several voices pleaded for Saria's rendition of the downfall of Geon, to which she agreeable because young Link had already gone to bed. A number of tall tales later, the children began stumbling tiredly from the dying fire to their own homes by twos, threes and fours. Saria was neither one of the first, nor one of the last to leave the dwindling party and by the time she departed she felt as sleepy as Link had been.

The forest was left to itself; the crickets and the frogs kept their night-long, competitive chorus, the wind played lazily with the leaves and the various nocturnal prowlers crept through the forest with only the occasional rustle of a dead leaf upon the turf; the stream paid attention to none of its surroundings and only continued its incessant chuckling. All of a sudden, a resounding scream broke the comparative silence that had previously dwelt there. The sound was one of the most pitiable imaginable; it was the scream of a frightened child.

Saria jerked awake; her brain took a couple of seconds to process what she had heard, but Estelle assured her that she had been awakened by the same thing. The girl threw her legs over the side of her bed and stumbled to her doorway, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She knew that the terrified cry could only have come from one mouth and even before she was fully awake, she rushed across a bridge, up a ladder and into Link's house, still wearing her mint-green nightgown. Even before she entered she could hear fearful whimperings, the mere sound of which wrenched her tender heart.

"S-S-Saria…" came the wailing, muffled voice. "I'm s-so s-s-cared."

She approached the bed and by Estelle's glowing aura she glimpsed a trembling, shaking body hiding beneath the woolen blanket.

"It's okay, Link. I'm here. I'm here," she said soothingly.

She tugged at the coverlet, which was twisted around the small boy. More sobs broke loose as the frightened child struggled to withdraw himself from the cave of his blanket. Once he had partly extricated himself, he threw his arms about Saria in something just shy of a stranglehold; his sobs increased and the words that passed his lips were an unintelligible blur of fear. The girl rubbed his back and murmured words of consolation into his ear.

"There, there, Link. It's okay. It was just a bad dream. You're okay. Nothing is going to hurt you, I promise."

The boy managed to speak his next words a little less indistinctly: "I w-was alone! A-all al-one! Why w-weren't y-y-you h-here?"

Those plaintive words just about broke the Kokiri girl's heart. All she could do was pull him closer to her chest and let her tears fall upon his tangled locks. That was the one thing she had not anticipated as a result of Link's move. He had no fairy, no one to watch over him and keep him from the demons of the night. He was just a little boy! How could he be expected to adjust to such a change overnight? She had been thoughtless!

The guardian fairies all knew the lullaby of the forest, which they often found need to sing for their very young charges. Hovering over Saria's head, Estelle began to croon, both for the sake of her Kokiri and the anxiety-ridden Link.

"Hush, hush

My darling dear;

The forest is asleep

And I am near.

Watching over thee

Is the Great Deku Tree.

Close thine eyes,

Sleep, my Kokiri,

Slumber in thy child bed;

Thou art precious to me.

Watching over thee

Is the Great Deku Tree."

The fairy completed the verses and then began over again and this time Saria lent her slightly shaky voice to the melody. The latter's mind was torn with indecision but her first priority was to assuage Link's nighttime terrors. Gradually, his violent sobs subsided and were replaced by light snores. He lay there with his mouth hanging open; he was still cuddled in the arms of his best friend, who sat upon the floor by his bed.

"Are you going to stay with him?" Estelle inquired softly.

The girl nodded and two more tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.

"Saria, you mustn't blame yourself for Link's nightmare. He's never had one before and there was no way you could foresee what happened tonight. If not for that, he would have slept through the night without even realizing he was alone."

"I know. I… I just feel like I f-failed him!"

"We'll work it out. It wouldn't do to baby him and stay with him all the time. Link's getting to be a big boy, after all. But since he doesn't have a guardian fairy we'll have to find something else to keep him from being so alone and in the dark. We'll find a way, Saria."

"O-okay," the Kokiri gulped, and then found herself yawning.

Weariness was catching up to her; her eyes seemed to be closing of their own accord and she found it more difficult to think more worried thoughts. She laid her head next to Link's and swiftly tumbled into the same dreamland that had claimed the boy. Estelle settled herself on the edge of the bed, near Saria's hand, but not so close to Link that he might inadvertently roll onto her and she, too, slept.

The next morning Link awoke, full of energy and more than ready to give his utmost attention to a promising new day. His bad dream from the night before was just that, a bad dream. With warm sunlight streaming through the diamond window above his bed and whispering to him to come out and play, a nightmare was like a puff of smoke. After hastily dressing himself and 'forgetting' to put on his boots, he scampered from his tree house in search of his best friend.

The boy without a fairy spent his day in a manner not at all unusual. He helped Saria, albeit grudgingly, to pull weeds from her garden. He would have been content to pull everything from the soil and not be bothered with the triviality of uprooting only the unwanted sprouts, but his friend kept half an eye on her own task and the other one and a half on her charge. If he even began to reach for one of her carefully planted seedlings, she would halt that motion with a quick, precise, "Not that one, Link."

When at last she released him from that daily duty, he went wandering through the forest in search of something with which to decorate his new home. He brought back an armload of moss and fluffy fern leaves, a pair of small sticks that branched crazily, a handful of brightly-colored wildflowers, and several jewel-backed insects that he kept imprisoned in a diminutive fist. He hurried back to show his treasures to his friend and get her help with the arrangement of them.

"Saria!" he called, standing at the base of her tree. He received no response.

A bit miffed, he hauled everything up to his home and spread it upon the platform outside his door, where he learned that his finds were not as wonderful as he had originally thought. The moss was filled with tiny bugs that started crawling over him, the beetles were half-dead from being trapped in his hand, the sticks looked dumb, and he decided that flowers weren't the sort of thing that he wanted to exhibit. He grew more and more dissatisfied and he was on the point of throwing everything over the side of his balcony when Saria made an appearance.

"Hi, Link! What are you doing?"

The child humphed, scowled, and kicked a clump of moss over the edge of the platform.

"What's all this?" she asked, gesturing to the collection of forest materials. "My, those are pretty flowers!"

"You can have them," Link replied grumpily. "It's all ruined anyway."

Saria seated herself on the wooden balcony and touched the rejected treasures. "Well, I do think we'd better get rid of this moss. It's full of insects. I love these ferns, though. They'd look great with these flowers. Do you mind if I arrange them?"

The boy's irritability was lessening as he shook his head.

"Wow, these beetles are really pretty, too," she said, gesturing to the insects that were squirming and trying to get off their backs. "I think they'd be happier if we freed them, though, don't you? They're probably really frightened."

Link agreed. "Okay."

His best friend picked up the small wooden next and held them up to her head. "These are great, Link! They're just like antlers! Seeing these gives me a grand idea! We could make a deer out of clay and stick these in it! Would you like that?"

And that was when Link smiled. His former woes erased, he followed Saria down the ladder and helped her mix a bowl of clay. He managed to smear it, not only on his hands and face, but on his arms, legs, and the front of his tunic, which caused Saria shake her head and tell him that he'd be taking a bath in the stream when they were finished. Deftly, she worked at the clay and molded it into a near-perfect, miniature replica of a real hart, complete with that pair of impressive twigs that Link found in the woods. He added a few, less delicate touches of his own, such as a slight indentation of a finger on the right flank and a fingernail-sized cut on the neck; the girl did not complain, though, for it was his figurine.

They had gathered a crowd of curious children who viewed all with much interest. Having finished the project, Saria set the creation on a stump kissed by the sun and stood back to admire it, while the others crowded closer in order to more closely behold the deer. A great many 'oohs' and 'ahhhs" floated on the air. The head, with magnificent antlers, was lifted proudly, the legs were poised as if it was about to dart away, and the hooves barely seemed to grace the ground. Link found himself wondering for just a minute why it didn't run, before he remembered that it was only made of clay. Then Saria bundled him away for the required bath.

A near disaster occurred later that day when Link was admiring the hart and blowing upon it occasionally with the hope that he would help it dry sooner. Mido, who had heard about the project and was struck with jealousy and the desire to set his eyes upon it, sauntered up to the little boy.

"What're you doing with that, Mr. No-Fairy?"

Link spun around. "Go away, Mido! It's mine!" He put himself between the buck and the older boy.

"That's not nice, little skull kid. Are you going to let me see it or not?!"

"Don't call me that!"

"That's what you are, little skull kid. Skull kids don't have fairies and neither do you! Now, move aside, you fairy-less runt!"

With the howl of an overflowing temper, Link plowed headfirst into the bully and pummeled him with small fists. Mido not only fought back, but shoved the child so hard that the latter had the breath knocked from him. In helpless desperation did Link watch as his tormentor leant closer to the precious hart; surely his desires were nothing short of malicious. Oh, how the fairy-less boy wished desperately that he could grow big enough to rub Mido's face in the dirt or, at the very least, that Saria would come to his aid. However, something else happened to prevent any nasty ideas to come to fruition.

"Hey, Mido! Whatcha doing?"

The newcomer was Fado, a girl who sported sunny hair and a similar disposition, and whose indigo eyes often sparkled with curiosity and mischief. She commonly had her thick, shoulder-blade-length tresses tied back in a ponytail or two and she regularly was pushing the bangs from her eyes. Her tunic had a slightly longer skirt than those belonging to the other girls; from her neck hung a strand of intertwined fiber, attached at its lowest point to a single, old vine bent and tied in a circle. She held Mido on a pedestal of varying heights, if only because he was her one and only brother.

The conception of a single Kokiri is a bit of a miracle, thereby, two souls coming to life at the same time was outside the limits of rarity. As a matter of fact, it had never happened before or since the birth of Mido and Fado. From that time in which they shared a slightly roomier flower, the girl and boy were very attached to each other. A fairy who had been wandering and feeling that she needed to care for a young Kokiri even though another of her kind was already tending to the newly-formed child, found her purpose when the baby blossom opened and surprised everyone, even the Great Deku Tree. From it emerged not one, but two perfect infants who would not be separated from each other and who each needed a guardian fairy.

As the children grew Fado was always following her brother and pleading to be included in his games, to the point that might have driven the boy to distraction, except for the fact that Mido was extremely tolerant of his sister. He was most protective of her and she adored him. When it came to her, there was nothing he wouldn't do.

"Whatcha doing, Mido?" the girl repeated.

Mido's advance upon the clay hart was suspended as he turned to face his sister. "Um, hey, Fado. Just looking at Link's statue."

The delay gave the younger boy time to scramble up from his position on the ground and once again plant himself protectively in front of the precious creation. He held out his arms and had upon his face an expression halfway between determination and indignation.

"Ooh! Ooh! Let me see, too!" Fado exclaimed as she drew closer to the stump.

Mido cast a withering gaze in Link's direction. "Move it, No-Fairy!"

"Go away! You can't touch it! It's mine!"

"Aw, c'mon Link. Just let me look at it. I'm not going to hurt it or anything. It's too pretty!"

Grudgingly, the child lowered his arms and instead, put them around his deer. Fado knelt and examined it quite minutely. Link glared at her when she used a finger to tap one of the antlers, an action which she did not repeat. Having completed her examination, she straightened and spoke her thoughts regarding it.

"It's so beautiful! It's just like a real hart! I love it! I wish I had one like that…"

Mido's greatest desire at that moment was to remove the hart from Link's possession and happily present it to his sister, but an act like that would only detract from Fado's image of him. She was never outright mean to the youngest boy of the village and she at least halfway shared Mido's distaste for him, but she would certainly be disappointed by such a spiteful action. Instead, he promised his sister that he would make one for her, and the siblings marched away. Link breathed a sigh of relief; after a minute had elapsed and he was fairly sure that his hart was safe, he returned to his admiration of it.

When night fell and it came time again for Link to visit dreamland, he found a surprise waiting for him in his house. Resting upon his stool, near the head of the bed was a sizable pot containing three mushrooms that glowed and pulsed with gentle luminescence. The umbrella-shaped cap of the fungi was a gorgeous, ever-changing rainbow of colors, sprinkled with a few clear spots through which most of its light shone. The stem, mostly hidden by the overhanging cap of the mushroom, also glowed slightly through its veins. If Link was very still he could hear a soft humming, the tune of which seemed to match perfectly with the pulsating glow of the fungi.

Saria was there again to tuck the boy into bed and remain with him until he drifted off; sleep was fast claiming him and he mumbled, "You gave me the mushrooms?"

The forest girl smiled softly, planted a kiss on his cheek and replied in a whisper, "Yes, sweetie. Sleep well, my little Link…"

Saria's gift kept the night demons from visiting Link; the light and song which the mushrooms provided brought solace to his resting mind and he slept the sleep of an innocent child. The hart of which he was so fond was quite dry within a few days and it proudly adorned a shelf in his room. Those were two of his finest treasures, to which he added more over the next few years.

The child was not treated to another visit to the Lost Woods for more than a year, but he found quite enough with which to occupy his time without venturing there. The matter of finding his hat, for instance, was something that consumed his mind after the novelty of his new home had worn off. Countless times he wandered the village and the area surrounding it, searching every nook and cranny, asking everyone for info about his pointed hat, and made something of a nuisance of himself to the other children, all with no success. The mystery of his absent hat persisted. Saria kindly offered to make him another but the young child would only be satisfied with his own.

One hot day, a couple of months after that adventure in the Lost Woods, Link was immersed in the village stream, splashing any other children who happened to be nearby, trying to hold his breath underwater for as long as possible, and sailing a piece of wood that was shaped too much like boat to be used for any other purpose. Saria was on an excursion into the deeper parts of the forest on one of her monthly missions of collecting herbs, accompanied by Mido, who was hoping his gallantry would not go unnoticed. Upon her return she hurried to her young charge while still carrying her scented baskets.

"Link!" she called as she drew near.

The boy's head popped above the surface of the water, for he had been practicing holding his breath. "Now I lost count!" he exclaimed, slightly vexed.

"Never mind that, Link! Guess what? I found out what happened to your hat!"

Scrambling from the water, he demanded, "Where? Where?"

"Mido and I saw a deku scrub as we were coming out of the Lost Woods. It was wearing your hat!"

The deku scrubs, who wandered through the Kokiri Village, the entire forest and even to areas outside it, were notorious for petty thievery. These nomads really hadn't any sort of leader, though they were obliged to abide by the sovereignty of the Great Deku Tree; they lived in small clans that were never in the same place for more than a few weeks and were often 'borrowing' a variety of items from whatever settlement near which they camped. They were quite a unique people, for their thick bodies were made of wood rather than flesh and their limbs were typically as thin as sticks. Their diets consisted of things found in the wild: seeds, leaves, fruits, roots, and even insects. A scrub's most notable feature was a snout, from which any seeds stored in the mouth could be launched at anything or anyone. From their heads sprouted a great quantity of leaves, grass, or flowers that provided camouflage in the event of approaching danger and which shadowed their eyes to such an extent that all that could be seen was the glowing of their ocular organs. Some deku scrubs also wore that same foliage as clothing.

Link champed at the bit while Saria deposited her baskets in her tree house and then they traipsed to the spot in which the Kokiri girl had laid eyes on the green-hatted deku scrub. Upon their arrival, they did not immediately see anything out of the ordinary.

"There's no one here," the boy said and hung his head.

"Shhhh… Just wait," Saria whispered. "The deku scrubs a shy and secretive. They hide if they hear anyone approaching. We have to watch and wait."

Wait they did and for Link it was hard. What he really wanted was to rush right in and retrieve his beloved hat. His friend placed a hand on his shoulder as if to say, "Have patience. You'll see."

After what seemed like a week to the boy but was only a matter of a minute or two, they saw something move. It was as if the breeze was playing with a few leaves, except for the fact that the air was as still as Saria. More leaves and grassy type things kept popping up and bobbing around. Link realized that they weren't plants at all, nor was there a tricky wind playing, but that the deku scrubs had made themselves known.

The Kokiri girl took him by the hand and whispered, "Come with me, but don't make any sudden moves. They might see it as a threat and spit nuts at you."

Link certainly didn't want to be the recipient to an assorted barrage of nuts, so he did exactly as Saria instructed him; all he let dart about was his eyes as he viewed the deku scrubs. He had heard of but never come so close to even one member of that race. The scrubs that they passed gave them cursory glances and then continued with whatever they had been doing. They had a funny, hopping sort of walk and the foliage on their heads bounced in such a comical ways as they moved. Link was taken aback to learn that most the deku scrubs weren't any taller than he was, though some of them appeared to be of a slightly greater height because of the arrangement of leaves or flowers upon their craniums.

The two children unobtrusively pattered through the small clan of woody forest-dwellers; while Link was distracted by the new experience that he temporarily forgot the purpose of their excursion, Saria kept a sharp eye out for the young scrub whom she had observed just a half hour earlier. Ironically enough, it was her companion who spotted the object of their search and neglecting to remember her warning, shouted and pointed.

"That scrub! He has my hat!"

The be-leafed creature's head twitched in the direction of the voice and the eyes narrowed with distrust. "I am not 'he'. I am a girl-scrub." This was perhaps evidenced by the fact that her head and leafy attire were adorned with flowers. "What do you want with deku scrubs?"

"We're sorry about that," said Saria. "We came here because of the hat you're wearing."

"It's my hat!" Link interrupted.

The be-flowered head of the scrub shook in negation. "I do not steal. Everything I have I find in the forest. Would you like to trade?"

The deku scrubs who inhabited the Kokiri Forest and areas around it were notorious for reselling the items that they acquired, through fair means or foul, either for money or, in the case of the Kokiri, other valuable goods. If the article under consideration was easily replicable and of no sentimental attachment, the other party would have no desire to trade, but as was with Link's hat, precious things had to be traded for.

Saria slipped her hand into her pocket and withdrew her handkerchief. "How about this?" she inquired.

"Fe he he! You think that little bit of cloth is worth this?! Show me more."

The Kokiri presented six perfect, translucent white quartz pebbles and held them down to the eye level of the other female. The latter's glowing eyes sparkled with interest and she fumbled at them with stiff, wooden hand.

"Do you have more? Let me see!"

Six more pebbles extricated themselves from Saria's pocket and the green-haired girl said, "That's all I have. Is it a trade?"

The deku scrub pulled the hat from her head and let it fall to the ground, whereupon Link immediately snatched it up and hugged it. The wooden-skinned lass gathered the lovely pebbles into the handkerchief, tied up the corners, and waddled her way into the brush.

As he and Saria made their way back to the village he voiced the thoughts that had been running through his head. "Why didn't you just show her everything you had right away?"

"Well, the deku scrubs enjoy their haggling. They expect it of you, though somehow they know exactly what you have on hand for trading. They know a lot of things that go on in the forest, actually. I guess it's easy for them because they blend in so well."

"You gave her your best handkerchief and those pretty pebbles you've been collecting for a long time. Why did you do that? Didn't you feel bad to give them away?"

"I can always make another hankie and what are a few rocks when compared to your happiness? I did it for you, Link."

She smiled and glanced at the pointed, floppy green hat that once again graced his head. The absence of that headpiece was so unusual that she had found herself yearning for its return; now all was as it should be.

Except for the run-ins with Mido, Link's days passed in a blissful manner. The tauntings did not cease as the years crept by, but as the youngest boy grew so did his knowledge of and skill at fisticuffs. There came a point in which older Kokiri could not engage him in any sort of physical activity without blows being equally reciprocated. There were several incidents between the two boys, the most notorious of which was the time that an extremely vexed Link emptied a barrel of odiferous garbage over Mido's head. The latter had smelt of spoilt fish and rotten eggs for a couple of weeks, which made the culprit feel victorious, even though Saria made him clean up the putrid mess and wash Mido's equally stinky clothes.

In a nettled moment, Link formed the decoration that the exterior of his home needed. His tormentor had just broken all of his play swords and an observer could just about see the steam coming from the small boy's ears. He took some chalky-white paint and drew on the outside of his treehouse a picture of himself, doing nothing other than fighting a terrible, dragonish monster that he referred to as 'Mido'.

The Great Deku Tree would occasionally summon the boy without a fairy and speak with him about courage, destiny and a lot of things that Link didn't quite understand yet, but would, in later years, take them from his memory and hold them close to his heart for comfort. The child wished with all his heart for the promised guardian fairy and he only once repeated the question to his father figure.

"A fairy will find thee when the time is right, child."

Link did not renew that query again, but he oft-times mentioned the subject to Saria, whereupon she offered a sympathetic word. Every night he prayed for a fairy to come to him and each of the following mornings he was discouraged when he awoke alone. Perhaps the boy was sometimes disillusioned and wondered whether he'd ever have a companion, but deep in his soul he kept hoping and clinging to the words of the Deku Tree.

Especially after his first venture into the Lost Woods, Link was seized by a great thirst for knowledge of what lay beyond the forest. He questioned Saria on the subject, but she knew rather little about it, being that she'd never quitted the forest that was their home. The others seemed quite satisfied to remain in their comfortable, safe habitat, but the boy without a fairy found himself wondering about it more and more.

"Great Deku Tree, what's outside the forest? There must be something out there. The others say that there is, but they've never seen it. Do you know?"

"The forest is a vast place, my child, but end it does. A whole world is beyond the borders of my realm."

"What is it like?"

The guardian spirit told him of a great many things; of people who started out as small as the Kokiri, but grew till they were taller and were called 'adults', of different races who could eat rocks or swim indefinitely underwater, of tree-less plains and great mountains, of large, man-made buildings called houses, and the many villages dotted and sprinkled around the country known as Hyrule. Link loved those stories and over time he developed a deep-seated wish that he could venture outside the forest one day and view it for himself. It was a desire that he kept to himself for he did not need another reason to be so distinguished from the other children.

Four birthdays shook their merry surprises upon the fairy-less boy; those events the Kokiri celebrated in their usual fashion and as they did with every natal day. By the time of Link's tenth birthday he could stay up as long as any of the other children, which had been a long-time ambition of his. He took part in the scary stories and the songs so lusty that they more than reached the ears of the Great Deku Tree, and only when the last revelers were trooping off to bed did the young boy also follow suit.

As an added birthday surprise Saria accompanied Link to the Lost Woods for a picnic, where he happened upon a fallen bough that was the perfect size for making an awesome slingshot. He dragged it back to the village, trimmed the excess length from the branch, peeled the bark from it, waited impatiently for it to dry and selected a vine with which he would wrap the grip of the toy. Saria aided him in the forming of a tough, rubbery band that he would attach to the prongs of the slingshot, and a small bit of leather for the ammunition pocket. The project spanned several days that breezed by because he thoroughly enjoyed using his hands and was adamant about the fine quality of his slingshot. When at last it was completed, the first person to whom he exhibited it was, of course, his best friend.

"Look, Saria!" he cried, waving the item joyously.

"That is wonderful, Link! It's the best slingshot I've ever seen!"

Eager to show off, he made a shot at a broad cabbage leaf and, to his great consternation, missed it by a length greater than he was tall. Saria was very polite and pretended she hadn't seen that, but it didn't make Link feel any better. Needless to say, he spent a couple of months perfecting his aim; it came to be that he could hit an apple out of a tree with a single seed. All during that time, Mido, who was never one to be content when Link was, decided that he had to wipe the grin from the face of that annoying, fairy-less little urchin.

Saria was a princess with a crown of flowers in her hair, imprisoned on a tree branch directly above her house, and Link was the heroic lad who was in the process of coming to her rescue. He brandished a crude wooden sword and had thrust his precious slingshot into his belt, though before he could free the princess, a beastly monster placed itself in his path. Actually, the villain had at either side a couple of minions, who he directed to restrain Link while he helped the damsel from her precarious perch.

"Ah ha ha ha!" the meddling fiend crowed as he handed Saria down from the branch. "I'm the hero who rescues the princess from the ugly, fairy-less ogre named Link!"

The green-haired girl frowned and put her hands on her hips. "What are you doing, Mido?!"

"Let go of me! Let go! Give me my slingshot!"

Dobo and Mazu held a struggling, squirming child back while Mido victoriously held aloft Link's pride and joy of a slingshot and drew Saria away.

"Mido, stop that!" the forest girl demanded as she tried to pull her slim hand from his grimy one.

"Now, now," he scolded. "You don't want to go back to that nasty old ogre!"

That time she extricated her hand and, with Mido at her heels, strode toward the other two boys. Mazu and Dobo recognized the murderous glint in her eye and hastily released their hold on Link. Being free, he pushed them away and turned his attention to Mido; the two of them were of equal heights and both had the fires if indignation lit in their eyes.

"You're a thieving deku scrub!"

"And you're a useless skull kid who thinks he's a Kokiri!"

"I told you not to call me that!" Link shouted and drove a shoulder into the other boy.

Mido shoved right back, which rapidly escalated into a regular scrap; Saria pleaded and demanded for them to stop and at her words Mazu and Dobo also endeavored to pull them apart, all to no avail. The fracas ended abruptly when one of Link's jabs went wild, whereupon he tumbled over the balcony railing and into a deep pool of the stream.

The Kokiri girl shrieked, "Link!"

A second later, his head broke the surface of the water; he was relatively unhurt but his pride stung like a fresh cut. Balefully, he glared up at the platform from which he'd fallen, while Saria rushed down the ladder and to the shore of the stream. She waded partway into the tributary, without caring that water was sloshing into her boots, took her friend's hand and helped him to dry land. The troublemakers guffawed a couple of times as they gazed down from the balcony, and then made themselves scarce, so as to avoid Saria's displeasured glances. Link would cheerfully have sought them out and knocked their heads together, just for the sheer fun of it, but his best friend was dragging him away from the scene. They went to his house, where she located a towel and waited outside while he dried himself and changed into his spare tunic.

Saria recognized a near boiling point when she saw one and wisely convinced the embarrassed boy into coming with her to the village garden, in order to aid her in gathering some well-ripened vegetables for that evening's meal. Unfortunately, her plan did not succeed; he seethed quietly and the one thing that repeated itself in his mind was, I'm gonna get you, Mido! I'm gonna get you! Link dreamed up all sorts of nasty things he could do in revenge, but discarded them all for not being drastic enough, or else too complicated to be easily completed. He couldn't let on to Saria about his plans because he knew she wouldn't approve and would talk him out of it. His bruised ego told him he had to have compensation for the humiliation he'd suffered at Mido's hands.

He was busy with those thoughts while he ripped the hapless string beans from their stems while a nearby Saria tenderly plucked a warty type of squash from their tiny hollows in the ground. Link did not at first realize what he had disturbed when he stood upon a slight mound of soft soil, but then his task came to an abrupt stop when he began to feel many little stings of pain mostly on his legs. He dropped the handful of beans he'd just picked and gazed downwards.

"Hey! Ow!" he cried.

The exclamation brought Saria's attention to him and she quickly identified the problem. "Ants! You stepped in an anthill, Link! They're swarming all over the place!"

The boy swatted repeatedly at the minuscule insects. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Make them stop biting me!"

Saria led him away from the spot and said, "The best way to get rid of ants is to wash them off. Why don't you go take a swim? I'll finish up here."

Link did just that. Right as he was plunging, this time voluntarily, into the stream, inspiration hit him like the water into which he fallen just earlier. He knew precisely how he was going to enact his revenge. He waited until dusk, when Mido took Saria on their customary stroll, during which the girl lectured her fellow Kokiri for his bullying of Link. As much as Mido tried to change the subject, she always brought it right around again. No flowers or the pointing out of a new litter of foxes would dissuade her.

Meanwhile, as soon as he sighted them moving out of the village, their fairies floating over their heads, Link put his plan into action. From his home he grabbed a barrel half-filled with apples, set the fruit on his table, and then slipped off to the garden. The boy spent a minute trying to locate the spot in which he'd stepped earlier and because of the rapidly failing light was afraid for just a moment that his errand would be fruitless. His worries vanished, however, when he trod upon the anthill again and felt one of its workers crawling up his ankle. He swatted it away, knelt, and filled his barrel with soil, ants and all. Carrying the container most cautiously, so as not to disturb the insects that seemed as vengeful as he did, the child padded back to the village and up to Mido's second-level home. The light inside was dimmer than the surrounding forest but as Link felt his way toward the bed, his eyes adjusted to the gloom. He pulled back the blanket and sheet and spread the contents of his barrel over the mattress.

"Ha ha ha!" the boy chortled. "Payback time, Mido! You'll be sorry for stealing my slingshot and pushing me!"

He glanced around the dwelling for any sign of his toy but found none and crept from its portal to the stream, where he rinsed the small barrel and then returned to his own home. Eagerly, he stood behind the curtain of his doorway, fidgeted and peered out, in hopes that Mido would soon return. The moment that he observed the return of the two strollers, he made a dive for his bed and upon landing in it, threw the blanket over his clothed body. Within a minute, Saria tapped on the doorframe, entered, and tiptoed toward him.

"Good night, Link," she murmured. "Don't worry about Mido. He is sorry for what he did and he won't do it again. He'll be apologizing to you tomorrow."

The boy feigned sleep and Saria departed as silently as she had come. As soon as she was gone, Link bounced up and tiptoed back to the doorway, all the while thinking, Ha! That jerk isn't sorry about anything! He's just trying to suck up to Saria! Pulling back the curtain a fraction of an inch, he could just make out Mido's form as he entered his house. The boy chortled and leapt around his room in a gleeful little dance until he reached his bed, whereupon he flopped onto it. He imagined his persecutor thrashing around in his own bed as the ants crawled on and bit him. Link smiled into the darkness. He was sure he would have pleasant dreams that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't help but think of Groose, Cawlin, and Stritch when I wrote about Mido and his pals! I hope this chapter wasn't too long, but I simply could not resist including all the ideas that I came up with! It took a bit longer than I thought it would...


	3. The Answer to a Prayer

Link's dreams were not peaceful. A series of images plagued his sleeping mind, peopled mostly by a pretty girl in a fancy dress, an olive-skinned man in dark armor, and a blue fairy that hovered around his head. More faces and persons hovered in the background like extras in a play. A great sense of foreboding followed him wherever he went; it was quite an uncomfortable feeling because he was used to living so contentedly. Link shivered; everything was very dark, much darker than nighttime ever was. He saw the lips of the girl moving; she was calling him and asking him to do something. What was she saying?

"…up! Wake up! Link, wake up!"

Realizing that he was no longer dreaming and that it was a real voice calling him, the boy groaned and mumbled. "Go 'way, Saria."

But the annoying voice persisted. "What a lazy boy! Wake up!"

The child turned his face to the wall and pulled the blanket over his head. "Go 'way!"

"I will not go away until you get up!"

Hands that were much too small to be Saria's yanked the cover away from his face and then, though the cracks in his eyelids, the boy could see a ball of light bouncing up and down in the air. He was only about one-third asleep at that point but he doggedly refused to arise.

"The Great Deku Tree has summoned you, Link! Come on, get up!"

Finally deciding to give up his charade, the youth pushed himself up, stretched, yawned, and then opened his eyes. He blinked a few times and focused on the floating globe of pale purple-blue light that danced directly in front of his face. His eyes grew so large that if they were any wider he would have found them in his lap; within that pulsating aura was a fairy.

"Finally, you woke up! I'm Navi, the fairy. I'm glad to meet you, Link!"

She was only about as tall as the length of the boy's hand; her skin was a very pale blue, so pale it was almost white, her waist-length hair, which was braided sideways and hung over her shoulder, was of a color deeper than that of the sky, her eyes were a strange mixture of purple and grey and her ears were even longer than those of the forest children. Always fluttering behind her back were two pairs of delicate, membranous white wings; the upper set was three times larger than the other and of such a size that they were almost bigger than she was. The dress in which she was clothed looked like it was made from a faded blue material and then coated with gossamer spider webs. The garment floated loosely just above her knees, hugged her at the waist by way of a silken sash that was tied in a tiny bow at her side, and reached up to her collarbone and over her shoulders, leaving her perfect, alabaster arms bare. Crowning her hair and wrapped around ankle and wrist were tiny, green vines with leaves that never wilted. Her small face held the beauty of all fairies; her tiny nose and pink lips were flawless and while her eyes shone in a pert and lively manner, something else not easily discernable to one as young as Link lay within their depths. He'd never bothered to give the other fairies any close scrutiny and he suddenly realized how lovely the one before him was.

She was disconcerted by the goggling she received; she cocked her head, folded her hands behind her back and questioned, "What's the matter? Is there something on my face?"

"You're… a fairy!" Link gulped.

"Why, certainly I'm a fairy. The Great Deku Tree asked me to be your partner. He wants to see you righ—"

Her words were cut short by an ecstatic whoop from the boy as he leapt from his bed and cavorted around the room in a crazy, gleeful dance that made Navi stare in wonderment. He continually squeaked, "A fairy! I have a fairy!" Why, he would have hugged her if she wasn't so small!

Navi called out to him, "Link, come on! We have to go see the Great Deku Tree! He asked me to bring you to him, so let's go!"

The boy's capers immediately ceased. "He… He wants to see me?"

"Yes, of course! That's what I just said."

Link gulped. "Do I have to put on my boots?"

"I think you'd better. Your clothes, too."

"Oh. Yeah."

The child looked down. He had completely forgotten that he was only attired in his underwear. He plucked up the tunic that he had discarded on the floor the night before, slipped it over his head, and buckled his belt over it. Then, with Navi hovering energetically above him, he knelt by the bed and searched underneath for his footwear. The boy took such a lengthy time about it that she again had to urge him to more celerity.

"Link, why do you take so long? Aren't your boots there?"

"Uh-huh," the boy mumbled as he withdrew one of said items.

The task of putting it on was much more laborious that it should have been, and almost as soon as he had the boot on his foot Link yanked it off, turned it upside down, emptied it of little bits of gravel, grass, and goat hairs, and began the process all over again. For another whole minute he was scrabbling around in the dusty space known as under the bed and finally produced the other boot, whereupon he repeated the same procedure that the other piece had gone through. The fairy fretted quietly and flew back and forth as she watched him take his sweet time.

The ordeal being over, the boy stood and Navi exclaimed. "At last! Now, Link, come with me!"

As they exited the little home, Saria was just approaching across one of the bridges strung between the inhabited trees. She waved to him and called, "Hi, Link! Good morning!"

His demeanor brightened by several degrees as her words caressed his ears; he saluted back, "Hey, Saria!"

As soon as she came near she immediately took note of her friend's new partner. She clapped her hands delightedly and cried, "Wow! A fairy came to you, Link! I'm so happy for you!" Then, even though he was actually a bit bigger than she, Saria hugged the boy.

"Now I'm a true Kokiri!" he exclaimed.

"You always have been," Saria murmured as she squeezed him and then stepped back from the embrace. She gazed directly into his eyes. "This place would not have been the same without you, Link. You're like a little brother and a best friend to me!"

The child's mouth nearly split with grinning; he blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Ah ha!"

"Were you headed somewhere just now?" the girl inquired.

"Yes," Navi replied. "The Great Deku Tree has summoned him!"

"Oh, well, I won't keep you any longer. I'll wait for you two here!"

Link's face fell again as he lethargically clambered down the ladder. If he had been less absorbed in his childish woes he might have noticed a change in the atmosphere of the forest; the birds, crickets, frogs and other creatures were unusually quiet, there was little to no breeze tickling the branches of the trees, and the very air was strangely unsettling. Navi floated ahead and was more than halfway to the guardian spirit's grotto when she realized that her new charge was not right behind her. With a sigh she returned along the path whence she had come and saw the boy a good dozen yards away, walking so slowly that a slug would have beaten him in a race.

"What's the matter, Link?" she inquired, worried that there was something wrong with the boy.

He opened his mouth and then shut it. He scuffed his boot on the ground. "Nothing," he muttered.

"Okay, then. Let's hurry!"

Link continued to drag his feet as they made their way to the Deku Tree. No amount of urging and prodding on Navi's part could make him move with more speed; therefore she resigned herself to the pace. Upon reaching the corridor of trees that led to the guardian spirit's grotto, their progress came to an abrupt halt. Mido, who was extremely agitated and flanked by his flunkeys, Dobo and Mazu, blocked the tunnel.

"Here comes Mr. No-Fairy!" Mazu muttered.

The self-styled boss of the Kokiri stood directly in the path that he knew Link was trying to take. Curiously enough, he sported a great many red welts on his legs, arms, and neck. Meanwhile, Link had a difficult time arranging his expression; he felt like laughing but it hadn't time to escape his mouth before he remembered where he was going and the lecture that was coming his way, and yet he wasn't about to evince his worries before the bully who made his life miserable.

Mido glowered ferociously. "You put those ants in my bed, didn't you?!" He tried to resist the urge to scratch his back, but it was too much for him and he clawed at it, quickly.

"What if I did? It's what you deserve for stealing my slingshot!"

"What do you need a slingshot for?! A weapon like that is for a man, not a scrawny, spoiled brat of a skull kid!"

"I'm not a skull kid!" Link yelled, balling his fists.

Mazu drew back as if he'd been struck. "Ooh, he's got a fairy now, Mido! Do you think that makes him a Kokiri now?"

The leader of the boys sneered, "He'll never be one of us!"

Link had never wanted to gift Mido with a knuckle sandwich more than he did at that moment. He gritted his teeth and advanced by a step. Perhaps he would have struck the other boy if his new fairy companion hadn't interrupted.

"Look, you two, this is no time to be fighting! The Great Deku Tree has summoned Link. You must let us through!"

Mido folded his arms and decided upon something that was perhaps the nearest thing to disobedience he'd ever done. "I'm not going to let a twerp like you through! Even if you do have a fairy!"

"You can't do that!"

Navi murmured into his ear, "Link, we're not going to get anywhere like this. Let's leave and give everyone concerned a chance to cool off."

Reluctantly following her advice, a very frustrated boy stomped away while Mido and his pals yelled taunts at his retreating back.

"Yeah, you'd better keep going! Go crying to Saria like the sissy you are!"

"Loser!"

"You'll never be a true Kokiri!"

A petulant Link strode back in the direction of his house and Navi made an attempt to lighten the air. "Did you really put ants in his bed?" she asked incredulously.

He stopped and nodded, a bit sheepishly. The next moment he added, vehemently, "He deserved it! He stole my slingshot!"

"Ah, so when I came along and told you that the Great Deku Tree wanted to see you, you thought it was for a scolding?"

The child again gave an affirmative gesture, and this time he ashamedly hung his head, as he did whenever he felt he had disappointed his father figure. He had the nagging feeling that his nightmare from the night before was, in reality, the tug of a guilty conscience.

"Did you ask him to give it back?" the fairy questioned.

"Uh… No. He wouldn't do that, though. You don't know Mido. He's always mean!" the child complained.

"Did you ever try being nice to him? You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar, you know."

"Huh? Honey? Vinegar? Hey, maybe I could smear Mido with—"

"It's an adage, Link. It means that if you show someone kindness, he is more likely to repay you in the same manner."

"Hmph. Not Mido. He couldn't be nice to me in a quazillion years!"

"You never know. Maybe you should try it sometime. You'd be surprised, I'll bet!"

The idea was so novel to the boy that he had to take several moments to digest it. He sat upon one of the many ancient stumps sprinkled throughout the forest, put his knees up to his chin, and bore a very curious look in his eyes. Here was something that had never occurred to him!

After mulling it over, Link raised his head and questioned, "Are you sure? How am I supposed to be nice to a meanie like him?!"

"Well, first of all, you could apologize for your prank. Those bites all over his arms and legs look really itchy and painful and it really wasn't a nice thing for you to do."

The boy understood that part, at any rate. The bites that he'd sustained before ridding himself of the ants were few and far between but still they caused him a little discomfort. He could only imagine how the myriad of little red welts on the epidermis of the other Kokiri would ache and burn. On the other hand, there was Link's pride, which still smarted like the slap he'd received when he had fallen into the stream.

"I don't want to!" he said, sullenly.

The wee sigh that escaped a tiny mouth lost itself in the air of the forest. "What if Mido was nice to you? Would you, in return, call him names or play nasty pranks on him?"

"Weeeell… Um, no, I guess not."

"It would be the same way if you were the first one to show that kindness. You would be heaping coals of fire upon his head."

The child's eyes lit up like the fireflies that danced in the air. "Coals of fire…"

"It's figurative! It's all figurative, Link! Don't take me so literally! It means that if you heap kindnesses on Mido's head, he will be much more hesitant to be mean to you. It's what I've been telling you this whole time!"

The boy, however, folded his arms, stuck out his lower lip and repeated, "I don't wanna!" He turned his back on Navi and applied his mind to figuring out a way for him to get past Mido without making peace with him. Several ideas he was forced to discard due to their downright impracticality. He wished he could fly over the human obstruction; that would have involved rigging an elaborate contraption by which he could glide right over the heads of Mido and his pals, which was something far beyond his abilities. He thought with glee how he could dig a tunnel right under the feet of those who blocked his path, but he realized that would take far too much time. The Great Deku Tree had necessitated the audience that morning, not in several weeks. He wasn't going to go back to Saria and let her sweet-talk Mido, either; he was quite capable of solving the problem on his own. Link's frown grew deeper as the problem stumped him further.

All of a sudden, something sprang from the nearby growth and yelled, "Boo!"

The boy was so startled that he tumbled right off the stump and into the thick ferns whence the voice had come. He found himself face-to-face with grinning Fado, who had some of that same foliage stuck into her hair and clothes.

"Hee hee hee! I scared you, Link! That's what you get for trying to poison my brother with ants!"

She stood, pulled the fronds from her hair and sauntered off, still giggling; she left behind a child whose heart felt like it would never cease its battering of his rib cage. Navi, who had also been startled by the ambush, had only jumped and was still airborne. She floated down to the level of her charge and saw for herself that he was unharmed.

"Such is the fate of those who seek revenge," she muttered, hoping that the boy would take the hint.

He didn't. The ferns that Fado had used gave Link a fresh idea. Instead of climbing back onto the stump or walking away, he scrounged around in the dense foliage, yanking out a broad fern stem here, a huge fern branch there. He made such a pile of them that Navi could have been amply buried in them three times over. The next thing he did was to stick the fronds into his hat, down the front and back of his tunic, into his belt and boots, and anywhere else that he could make the verdant growth stay.

"Do I look like a fern?" he questioned of his companion.

"We're supposed to go see the Great Deku Tree. What are you doing, Link?"

"You'll see," he replied, mysteriously.

The youth plucked a few more fronds and put them in a few gaps in his assortment of foliage. Then he brushed back all the living plants and the decaying matter on the forest floor, until he came to the rich soil. He scooped some of it into his hand and began to smear it over his bare skin. Very soon, he bore a strong resemblance to a very dirty urchin. Link made his way to the stream, gazed at his reflection, grinned in a way just short of being sly, and silently proclaimed himself prepared for the maneuver. On hands and knees he crept to the flank of the three boys who blocked his way.

Navi had seen through his plan and was none to positive about it eventual outcome. "This isn't going to work, Link! You can't sneak by Mido like this!"

"Shhhhh!" the boy hissed. "You have to be quiet or you'll give me away!"

The fairy made no further noise but only floated quietly behind him as he crawled and rustled his way through the shrubbery. Once Link came within hearing distance of the three Kokiri who guarded the entrance to the Deku Tree's grotto, he lowered himself further into the organic debris on the forest floor and slowly slunk forward on his stomach. While he slithered along like a snake, he came close enough that he could listen to the words that passed between the boys.

"…you won't let Link go past?" Dobo asked, a bit nervously.

"Yeah, the Great Deku Tree summoned him and he'd be really mad if we don't let him go by! It's almost like being disobedient!"

"Geon was disobedient…"

"Shut up, you two!" their leader hollered. "Stop whining like a couple of girls!"

"But Mido, what about the summons?"

"I don't want to be cursed like Geon w—"

"Keep your stupid trap shut! I'm not doing anything like that skull kid did! I'll let the brat through… if he begs my pardon for putting the ants in my bed! Until he does, I'm going to stay in this spot. I'm sick of him getting away with anything and Saria always taking his part!"

Mido continued to grouse about the many beefs he had. As far as he was concerned, Link was never a Kokiri but both the Great Deku Tree and Saria insisted on treating him like all the rest, and in the case with the girl, spoiled him till he was absolutely rotten. Their guardian summoned Link more often than any of the other children, so what made him so special? Even the animals liked Link better! Whenever the younger boy came near the village goats or any of the forest creatures, they would invariably nuzzle him and make contented sounds when he scratched their heads. The fuss they made when he had a treat in his pocket was a sight that made Mido's features turn the color of his clothes, figuratively speaking.

"What do they see in a little wimp like him?!" he demanded. "I've known Saria much longer and she likes him better!"

Link bristled as the comments floated past his ears, but he just kept telling himself that it wouldn't matter when he got the better of Mido by sneaking past him. His slithering had nearly reached its end and he was already congratulating himself on his success; the other boy was still ranting and fuming and was surely too preoccupied to notice the whispering of activity that went on so near his feet. But alas, something caught the bully's attention; he turned his head a bit and peered down into the growth.

"I see you, you bum!" Mido yelled. "You're not gonna get past me so easily!"

His carefully wrought plan was ruined and Link was very exasperated. He stood up and shouted right back, "I'm not the bum! You are!"

"You're stupid too! Anyone knows that if you're trying to be stealthy, you've gotta hide your fairy! Her glow gives you away!

The lackeys chortled each behind a sweaty, grimy hand. Link grew very red in the face and, with the ferns bouncing and still sticking out in every direction, marched away again. It was back to the drawing board for him! One by one, the green-clad boy tore the many fronds from his person and stamped upon each piece as he made his way back to his house, leaving behind a trail of mangled leaves. Without anyone else in near proximity, he vented his wrath upon poor Navi.

"Why didn't you hide?!" he seethed. "He wouldn't have seen us if it weren't for your stupid glow! You're a poor excuse for a fairy!"

She had been floating alongside the boy, but with those words she was suddenly in his face. "There is one thing that you're going to have to understand right now, Link. I will not tolerate such disrespect from you! You will not address me in such a manner!"

Her words were quiet, but they carried an authoritative impact not unlike those from the Great Deku Tree. The child had been forced to halt his furious trek through the forest and he stared, almost stupidly, at the fairy who was an inch from his nose.

"Okay, fine," he grumbled.

If he'd been in a better mood, he likely would have mumbled an apology, or rather not have berated her in the first place, especially since she was his much-longer-for companion; unfortunately, altercations with Mido always put him in a sour mood. He continued storming through the brush, toward his house. Upon viewing his approach from the stoop of his dwelling, Saria rushed down a couple of ladders to meet him. In spite of his perturbation, Link gulped nervously when he identified the sad look in her eyes as disappointment.

"Um… H-hello, Saria," he said.

"I was wondering when you were coming back. Did you go see the Great Deku Tree?"

Link hemmed and traced his boot on the ground, whereupon Navi decided to answer the question. "No, we haven't. We ran into a little trouble… with Mido."

"Ah. Mm-hmm," was the Kokiri girl's non-committal reply.

The silence and the fact that his best friend wasn't mentioning the subject was too much for the boy's guilty conscience.

"Look, I'm sorry I put ants in Mido's bed! Okay?"

"I'm not the one to whom you should apologize, Link," she murmured.

"Why should I apologize to him?! He stole my slingshot and won't give it back! I want my slings-sh-hot!" At the very end of his rant his voiced wavered; with lip aquiver, he glanced up and gave his best friend a distraught glance.

Saria moved closer to him and put her hand under his chin. "Oh, Link. What am I going to do with you? You are incorrigible!"

"Is that a good thing?"

The girl giggled in spite of herself. "No. That's not funny! Why do you always do this to me?"

Fluttering in the air over their heads, Navi watched the two youths as Saria put an arm around her best friend. The fairy had already seen signs of how close they were, and now she was practically overwhelmed with the realization that there was so much she had yet to learn about the boy. It was different when a fairy watched over one of the forest children from their earliest stages, for she was there to guide and help shape the life of her charge; Navi's case was distinctly different. She alighted gingerly on Link's shoulder and let her wings brush his ear; she was relieved and gratified when he made no objection to the action.

"Link," she said, softly. "The Great Deku Tree is waiting for us. We must go to him!"

The boy swallowed very noticeably and mumbled, "Okay, okay. Do I really have to apologize to Mido, though?"

Navi took to the air again and replied, "It seems that is our only way to get past him. Are you ready?"

He contorted his mouth so that one side was up and the other was down. "I suppose…"

Once again, he and Navi started off for the grotto of the Deku Tree, and Saria gave them her best wishes. "Good luck, Link! I know you can do it!"

He turned back for a second, waved to her in a lackluster manner, and then plodded forward with his head hung. Navi floated a bit closer to him, if only to let him feel that she was there for him and that he had her full support.

"Look who's back again!" Mido snorted as Link approached with hesitant steps. "Has the skull kid come to beg for my most generous forgiveness?"

Link growled under his breath but his fairy whispered in his ear. "Forget his words. Focus on what you're going to say."

He marched forward until he was just a couple of feet from the Kokiri who he considered to be his worst enemy. He set his jaw and blinked a few times while he tried his best to gather his courage.

"Mido... I'm…"

More snickers and guffaws from the three boys did not give him an encouragement, but Navi did. She landed upon his shoulder again and stared at the boys, as if daring them to interrupt.

"I'm… I'm sorry… for putting ants in your bed," he mumbled. "Now will you please give me back my slingshot?"

"I didn't think you had it in you to say you're sorry," Mido said with a grin. "What do you guys think? Was that a nice apology?"

"Heh, mediocre as far as they go," Mazu grinned.

"It's the best you could expect from someone who wasn't born with a fairy to look after him," the other child muttered.

Mido grinned "You guys are reading my thoughts."

Growing redder in the face with each word, Link's resolve to try to be nice to the bully was wearing quite thin. Through gritted teeth he said, "I want my slingshot back, Mido. Where is it?"

"That stupid toy? It's long gone by now."

"What?! It's mine! What did you do with it?!" Link shouted, and automatically balled his fists.

"Don't get all huffy with me, you worthless skull kid! If you must know, I set it down and a minute later it was gone. It must have been one of those deku sc—"

For the boy with the floppy, pointed hat that was too much! With an aggravated yell he dove for Mido, much as he had just the day before. Within a couple of seconds they were rolling around on forest floor, crushing a plant here, a few leaves there, and trading blows. Link dealt the first punch straight for Mido's mouth and many more they exchanged as they fought. The other two boys watched with growing apprehension. Usually, they would have been glad for the excitement, for the thrill of a fight, but on this day they could not shake the feeling that they were being terribly wicked by aiding their leader in blocking the way to the Great Deku Tree's meadow.

"Mido? Link? Can you two stop that, now?" Dobo nearly pleaded.

Mazu muttered, "I think this was a bad idea from the beginning."

The guardian fairies of the two combatants shouted in shrill voices. "Quit that this instant!" Mido's fairy, Mena, exclaimed. She tried to pull at the ear of her charge, but had to dart out of the way to avoid being crushed.

Navi fared no better. "Link, please stop! Oh, the Great Deku Tree would not like this!"

The commotion brought a crowd of other children, some who cheered the scrapping boys and others who were rooted to the spot, and they gawked with wide eyes and open mouths. Saria, too, heard the ruckus, dropped the flower in her hands, and sped to the spot with a sinking heart. Upon approaching the boys, her first attempt at trying to break up the tussle was to plead with them.

"Link! Mido! Stop fighting, please! This is no way to make up your differences! Please! Stop it!"

Her words had no effect on the brawlers, who continued to roll around in a tangle of arms and legs and occasionally landing a punch. When she came too close to them, in an attempt to get them to stop, they twisted right into her and she fell. Scrambling to her feet, she tugged at the hands of Mido's pals.

"Dobo! Mazu! Do something! Separate them! Make them stop!"

"We're not getting in the middle of that!" said Mazu. "They'd beat us up just to get to each other!"

He and his companion moved several steps away from the tussle.

"Please, won't anyone stop them?" Saria wailed and promptly burst into tears.

As her tears cascaded down her face, splattering on the ground, the combatants separated and rose to their haunches, panting laboriously. Each tried to reassure the girl first.

"Don't—don't cry, Saria," gasped Link. Still trying to catch his breath, he scrambled over to her.

Mido's words came out in a big rush. "I can't stand it when you cry!"

"How can you f-fight?" she sobbed. "D-don't you f-feel it? There's something strange g-going on in the forest!"

The youths had no recourse but to hang their heads. They had both pursued their own selfish goals without even a thought as to what was happening around them. It was an opportune moment for their fairies to intervene.

"You see what comes of this pointless bickering?" Mena demanded.

"There isn't going to be any peace until you two apologize to each other," said Navi, sagely.

Prodded by their guardians, Mido and Link faced each other and stood for a few seconds, staring sullenly at each other, their mouths pulled down into frowns. Link's nose was bleeding, a bruise was forming under his eye, and he sported many scratches and abrasions over his body, while Mido had the largest black eye that the other boy had ever given him, a cut lip and very similar bruises and scrapes.

Growing ever more impatient with the stubborn children, Navi commanded, "Come on, now! Say you're sorry!" She shoved Link as hard as she could in the middle of his back, which made him jerk forward a half step.

"I'm… sorry!" he blurted out.

A moment later, having received an identical reminder from his fairy, Mido also uttered his pouty apology. "I'm sorry, too."

The excitement being over, the other children wandered away from the scene. Saria viewed the proceedings through her tears, which she then made haste to mop up after those most reluctant of words were exchanged. She moved forward, took a hand each of the two boys and held them.

"You have to stop fighting," she implored of them, the dew of her sorrow still wet upon her cheeks.

Mido grumbled something about going for something to eat, at which point Link realized he too hadn't consumed any breakfast and he was ravenous after his elongated shenanigans. Saria gave him her hanky to stem the flow of blood from his nose.

"You'd better get going to see the Great Deku Tree now," she said.

The boy turned away and with spirits dragging he began to plod toward the guardian spirit's meadow. Navi wore a relieved expression, for they were finally, actually progressing toward the Deku Tree.

"Wait, Link!" called the girl.

The child ceased his walk and turned, while she ran up to him and told him "Here. Take these." She pressed two giant apples into his hands.

Those particular apples were the whipped cream of all the apples grown within their woods. Arguments frequently broke out over the delectable fruit, the rights to which were claimed when they were mere blossoms; they were used as valuable trade items and a most acceptable sort of gift. The skin of the each exquisite apple was thin and fragile in appearance and of a divine yellow-ivory color. It was halfway translucent and a person could almost see the inside of the fruit without the necessity of cutting it open. Cleaving it revealed flesh that was almost white, the slightest taste of which was pure ecstasy. Hidden inside each of those heavenly apples was a star formed by the seed pockets, the area around which was graced with a deep pink blush. The Kokiri referred to them as 'snow apples'.

Saria's gift was more than enough to bring a bit of cheer back to the somewhat battered face of the boy. He accepted them gladly, waved to his best friend and traipsed off toward the grotto while taking a big bite of the fruit. He stuffed the other apple into his pocket, which just about stretched it to its limits, for consumption at a time in the very near future. His mood improved with every bite and each step that took him closer to his guardian. The juice dripped from his chin and trickled down his wrists as he practically inhaled the snow apple.

The boy nibbled off a small piece and offered it to his companion. "Would you like a bite?"

"Oh, okay."

Navi floated closer and took a few dainty, microscopic bites. Feeling as though he had done his duty, Link continued his munching just as they came into view of the Deku Tree. Still holding the apple core with juicy flesh clinging to it, the boy broke into a sprint.

The great voice of the guardian spirit, resonating though the air, carried a somber quality. "Ah, Navi, thou hast returned. Welcome, Link."

The child did not cease his momentum until he was right against the ancient bark. He threw his arms as wide as he could and pressed his whole body against the gigantic tree in loving embrace of a child.

"Oh, thank you, Great Deku Tree! You sent me a fairy!"

The wrinkled skin of the guardian of the forest moved upwards to accompany the slight smile, an expression that he could not stay. The mirth did not last long, however; the great mouth once again fell and was hidden behind the mustache of lichen.

Whispering in his ear, Navi said, "The Great Deku Tree has something very important to tell you, Link."

The boy released his hold and drew back. More than ever, he was struck with the feeling that the thing, of which he had been trying so hard to deny the existence ever since he had awoken, was very real and very near.

"A dark time is coming, my child," began the guardian spirit, quite soberly. "Even now, forces of evil are preparing their siege upon this land of Hyrule. It is time for thee to awaken thy potential, Link. This is the task for which I have been preparing thee; it is time for thy journey to begin. I could not expect thee to travel alone, thus I sent Navi to thee, to be thy guardian and companion."

Attempting his best to imitate the solemnity of his father figure, the child frowned and questioned, "Evil? Is it the kind of bad thing that Geon did that got him turned into a skull kid?"

"No, no, child. This malevolent force of which I speak is very much stronger than Geon could have ever been. Tell me child: do you remember the story I told thee of the three goddesses and the creation of this world?"

Link bobbed his head quite enthusiastically. The Great Deku Tree's tales always thrilled him, partly because he gleaned tiny tidbits of information about the world outside the forest, and also because the stories sounded so intense, wonderful, and awe-inspiring. In his mind a little hope had sprung up, a hope that another tale was forthcoming.

"Very good. It is now time that thou didst hear the rest of the story. Din, Nayru and Farore created this great world in which we live. After completing their labors, the goddesses returned to the heavens, but they left behind them a remembrance of their power and benignity. At the very point at which they left the land, there rested the sacred golden triangles that have been providential to our world. Their resting place is the Sacred Realm, a most holy place that only a blessed few may enter."

Seated on the lush grass before the Deku Tree, the boy nibbled his apple down to the seeds and cast it aside. The extremely energetic fireflies danced in endless flight through the air and were attracted to the warmth that radiated from his body. Link wished they wouldn't gather around him so; they were such fun to watch but he wanted to devote the entirely of his being to the legend that tickled both his ears and his fancy.

"Some have tried to gain access to the holy triangles, but because they are fueled by greed and lust they do not succeed. Right now, a man hailing from the desert, a very wicked man, is using his sorcerous powers in an attempt to gain the Sacred Realm. This thing must never happen. He, with his evil heart, must never reach the Triforce. Dost thou understand all that I have told thee, Link?"

Again the boy nodded, his eyes thoughtful and bright. A slight gathering of butterflies had decided to make a home in his stomach. "Why can't anyone go to the Sacred Realm?"

"Long, long ago, an ancient hero brought the Triforce into the mortal world to defeat evil. For a time, peace reigned and the land thrived as it never had since its creation. Then evil thoughts and desires crept into the hearts of men and all wanted to have the power of the Triforce. The caretakers of the sacred power and the sovereigns of Hyrule were forced to seal it away from the grasping hands of greed. Many wars and much strife have transpired because of the desire for the holy relic."

"But why? Why are they so greedy for it?"

"Ah, my child, how innocent thou art. Thou dost not understand the motives that drive men to the greatest heights or the lowest depths. It is a form of the lust for power that caused Geon to defy me and turn upon his friends."

Whenever the guardian spirit thought of the boy who had wandered too far from the realm of dutiful obedience, his eyes grew very sorrowful. He still felt the loss of some of his children very keenly, as only one with much authority does.

Link's mind was churning with the new information thrust upon it and he found himself staring at Navi, who had remained silent all that time. He wondered how much she knew about what the Deku Tree spoke of. Then the deep, bark-lined voice posed a question.

"Tell me, child: have thy dreams have been full of nightmares?"

His head flew up and he was once again gazing into the worn face of his father figure. "I had a bad dream last night. How did you know, Great Deku Tree?"

"Thou hast felt the coming of this evil. As the vile powers of this desert man increase, it can be felt by those sensitive to such disruptions. Already he draws near; he has entered this safe haven of mine. There is no time to waste, Link. Thou must go around to my back, cross the chasm and find the sword that dwells within the sacred grove."

The urgency in his voice compelled Link to scramble to his feet and, without another word, began his sprint around the great guardian of the woods. The apple in his pocket was bulging uncomfortable, which caused him to remove it and hold it in his hand. Navi remained in the air just over his head and as a result of the increased speed, little speckles of light fell from her wings as she flew. The ground over which the boy traversed had many dips and rises due to the massive roots of the Deku Tree, which bulged from the soil in many places. Some of these obstacles he climbed over rather than circumvent them.

It did occur to Link to wonder how in the world he would cross the gorge, but he didn't let it concern him. His mind was fixed on following orders and down to the depths of his soul he knew that if the Great Deku Tree told him to do a thing, he would have everything he needed to complete the task. The butterflies had not vacated his stomach but he hardly noticed them anymore, for his excitement had increased to a fever pitch. He had always dreamed of great adventures, doing brave deeds, and helping people; perhaps now he would have a chance at all those things, a chance at the adventures that Mido had sneeringly told him he would never have.

He paused as he came to the edge of the chasm and then stared amazedly as a gigantic root rose up from the wall of the gorge and gradually reached out to the other side, forming an immense bridge. Even after the root had deeply imbedded itself in the opposite side and had lowered itself in the middle, so as to make the crossing easier, Link was filled with such wonderment that he remained rooted to the spot, gawking at the spectacle with mouth agape.

"C'mon, Link! Let's go!" his fairy exclaimed and floated over the bridge. "We have to go find that sword!"

The boy shook the head, as if to dispel the animated thoughts running through his brain. Deftly, he clambered up the slight incline of the great root of the Deku Tree and began the way across. He put the apple back into his pocket so as to keep it safe from any accidents while suspended over a deep chasm. The child stopped to look down and all he could see was darkness; yes, he determined, it was very far to the bottom. Navi fretted nervously as he leant what she considered to be too close to the edge.

"Please be careful, Link! Watch out! You'll fall!"

A gleam came into the child's eye and he leaned a little further over. Though the fairy could not see, one of his hands was pressed against a bulge on the great bough; its purpose was to aid him in keeping his balance. He grinned devilishly and cast a quick, sideways glance at his wee guardian.

She put her little hands on her hips and said, "Stop fooling around, Link! We've an important errand to perform!"

He made a face, but all the same he pulled back and continued his trek across the rooty bridge. Navi kept her eye on him, but he attempted no further mischief. Many trees greeted them as soon as they had crossed the gorge and the boy wove his way through them until he found himself in a small meadow. In that space the trees thinned to utter sparseness which left ample room for the wild flowers that grew by the thousands and in a whole myriad of colors. A dainty breeze tiptoed its way through the stalks of the flowers and almost lovingly caressed their unblemished petals. The grove seemed to be a safe haven for deer, rabbits, chipmunks, and other forest animals that usually skittered away at the approach of a child; these ones only glanced up from their chewing, preening, and nibbling, and, after ascertaining the presence of a newcomer, went back to their activities. Little honeybees and big, fuzzy bumblebees, butterflies and the smallest of birds flitted from bloom to bloom and even a few fairies flew past on unknown errands.

Link's first thought was, Saria would love it here! She would love all the flowers! I wonder if she's ever been here before?

"We should go this way," Navi said by way of reminder, and pointed herself in the desired direction.

He followed her, but only his feet were on the path. His eyes were continually darting about and gazing hungrily at the unexplored meadow, the undaunted animals that would probably allow him to romp with them, the flowers that would bring to Saria's lips a smile (to make up for the tears for which he was partly responsible), and the perfect spot for relaxation and staring up at the sky. He attempted to console himself about this missed opportunity by reminding himself that he was on a vital mission given to him by the Great Deku Tree. As he made a path through the flowers of so many colors, number of petals and varying sizes, he reached out his hands, plucked some of the choicest blooms and formed a lovely bouquet, which he then stuck into his belt. One of these was a small, yellow flower with three pointed petals. He gathered some of those as well and added them to his collection.

They entered at the southern end of the clearing and at first Link thought that it was pretty small, but progression brought him from the little tongue to the great circular body of the meadow. It was large enough that a tree perhaps half the size of the guardian of the woods could fit within its boundaries. There was a single tree reaching up from the center of the wild-flower-covered field, but it was just a young adult when compared to those in which the Kokiri dwelt and less than a seedling next to the Great Deku Tree.

Navi led him to the base of the tree, where the child was surprised to learn that a niche had been carved into the living wood about two feet from the ground. Within that little compartment was a small sword, the blade of which was nestled in a bright blue sheath. As soon as he realized what the item was Link bounded forward, gingerly took it into his hands, and scrutinized it quite closely with a look of awe in his sapphire eyes.

"Go ahead, put it on," the fairy urged him. She landed next to the strap-like thing that also rested in the niche but had completely escaped his attention. "This is a baldric, Link. See? You attach the scabbard onto the back of it and then you put it over your shoulder and buckle it in front…"

The boy only seemed to want to admire his new 'toy' but with Navi's constant reminders, he buckled the sword's sheath to the baldric. His first attempt at fastening the strap failed because his fingers were shaking with excitement too much to fasten the buckle, and the whole thing fell to the ground. He snatched up the sword and baldric and tried again with eventual success. His guardian fairy could not understand why it took him so long and was sorely tempted to cast more words of haste in his direction; in actuality the child was just savoring the moment. He'd never had a real sword before and to be trusted with such an item was an important thing in a boy's life.

"Does it look okay?" Link asked, twisting around in a futile attempt to get a glimpse of his back.

"It looks fine," Navi was quick to assure him. "You have the sword now. Let's hurry back to the Great Deku Tree!"

Link only nodded absently as he trailed slowly after her. He took a few practice draws, marveling at how smoothly the sword slid from its sheath, and swung it at some imaginary enemies. It did not occur to him to wonder that the blade was so clean and sharp, but the fairy knew the cause was a simple magic spell that kept time and the elements from ruining it. Oh, how he would have loved to remain in that most beautiful meadow to play with his new sword, but the command of the spirit guardian was to return to him, which probably meant quickly rather than leisurely. He took one last glance at the glade that brimmed with life, waved to a trio of deer who were grazing quite nearby, and once more entered the thick trees.

As soon as they emerged from the forest on that side of the chasm, Link sniffed at the air and could sense that something dreadful was happening. A chill of fear took hold of him and gave fuel to his legs. The bridge was behind him in a trice and his young legs ate up the distance around the Deku Tree. He tripped as he clambered over one of the root mounds but almost instantly he caught himself and dashed onward. Navi stayed very close to him now; she had sensed the evil in the air even before he did, but her first priority was to ensure the safety of the boy.

Upon arriving at the last huge root before emerging into the open area in front of the Deku Tree, Link ceased his wild run and peeked over the top of the immense root, whereupon his blood froze in his veins and the breath in his throat was stillborn. There, before the beloved guardian of the forest was the man he had seen in his dream, whose venomous gaze was directed at the Great Deku Tree with the most malicious intent.


	4. Curse of Poison

The olive-skinned man was at least twice as tall as any of the forest children and his whole body was covered with dark armor, which seemed to absorb the light that met it. His ears were round, his nose sharp, his eyes a deep golden color, and his head was covered by a mass of flaming red hair. A strange, dark orange jewel rested against his forehead and another was strung across the length of his armor-covered collarbone. A slightly curved sword was strapped to one hip and a long dagger to the other; upon viewing the muscles that were evident even through the black metal and brown leather that covered the intruder, Link could tell that he was adept at the use of a blade. He was seated upon a horse darker than the blackest night, which was also outfitted with armor and trappings very similar to his.

The young boy was filled with such fear that he felt as though he could hardly move, and yet burning in his soul and escaping through his eyes that was his great love for the Deku Tree. This desire to aid his father figure, however impractical, grew so strong that it mingled with his terror and he was all but poised to spring forward. What stayed him was a tiny voice in his ear.

"Link! Stay back!" Navi hissed.

The urgency in her tone kept him from rushing ahead like a fool; he was not, however, spared the agony of what happened next. He was too shocked to cover his eyes or ears and little good would it have done, for it could not have changed that which was forthcoming.

"Thou art not welcome here, desert man! Begone!"

Those words resounded deeply and held a warning edge to them; Link had never known the voice of the Great Deku Tree to sound so menacing. His immense brows were furrowed in concentration and anger, and while he was aware of the child who hid behind one of his roots, the guardian of the forest made no acquiescence of his presence.

"You know what I have come for. Give it to me or I will level this forest!" the ominous voice of the desert dweller demanded.

At first Link hadn't noticed the small roots that were coming out of the ground around the man and horse, but they grew up so rapidly that they couldn't long escape to his attention. He had never witnessed the Deku Tree's mechanisms of defense and upon viewing them he was filled with awe. The net of roots was supposed to surround its target and kill it, or at least render it helpless, but in this instance it was ineffective. Upon touching the evil man, the roots shriveled and shrank away.

"Foolish tree! You are no match for my power! Now, give me the Spiritual Stone!"

"I am the guardian of these woods and I will not cede to evil like you. Thou wilt not have it while I yet live."

A sinister grin split the strange, slightly green skin of the intruder. "Then I will remove you from my path."

He lifted his hand and turned the palm of it to face the Deku Tree. His eyes still fixed upon the spirit guardian, the man concentrated his power on the orb of energy forming in his hand and, upon completing the spell, sent it hurtling toward the object of his wrath. Upon meeting the thick bark, the magic kept going and seemed to imbed itself into the wood of the great tree, leaving only a small dark hole. Link could feel a slight shuddering of the root behind which he hid and he could only think what a terrible thing that man had done to the Great Deku Tree. Navi nearly cried out and quickly covered her mouth. Both she and the boy were trembling, afraid, and incensed at the sudden calamity brought by the dark hands of the desert man.

"No one stands in my way," said he.

With a final glimpse at the malevolent leer upon his face, he turned his huge charger and vanished from the clearing like a puff of acrid smoke. As soon as the man was gone, Link scrambled around the root that had provided him with concealment and once again stood before the Deku Tree. Both he and his fairy gazed upon the beloved guardian of the forest with varying looks of bewilderment and sorrow.

The boy was very near to crying as he choked out, "Great Deku Tree, what… what did that man do to you?"

"…Link, my child! I am glad that thou art safe. Thou hast the sword… Thou must use it…to rid me of this curse."

"C-Curse?"

"Yes, dear one. Burrowing ever deeper into the veins that provide life for this forest is the vile creature…doing the bidding of that evil man…is eating away at me and growing in strength. Thou must seek it out and slay it."

The boy gulped. "Yes, Great Deku Tree. How…how do I find it?"

The guardian lifted a root at the forefront of his trunk, right where the evil man's magic had made that small hole in his bark, and revealed an opening that was quickly swallowed by the blackness of all underground places. Though the butterflies in Link's stomach had died and turned to something that felt like heavy, rotting food, the child made a step forward to follow the will of his guardian, but his movement was suspended at a final word from the Deku Tree.

"I must warn thee before thou dost enter… Every moment that this creature wanders without restraint feeds its power and makes it grow. Be very watchful, Link, and do not let thy guard down… Navi, the fairy, stay by Link's side, protect him and light his way. Go now… May the goddesses grant thee victory against this evil!"

"We will, Great Deku Tree!" was the heartfelt reply of the little fairy.

She flew to Link; they exchanged the briefest of acquiescent looks, nodded, and then Navi preceded him, so as to illuminate the way, into the earthen tunnels that wound around, below and sometimes above the massive roots of the spirit guardian. The boy was forced to enter on all fours and there was enough space for him to crawl, rather than going through on his belly. They were just some feet inside and the darkness, the likeness of which Link had never actually experienced, seemed to swallow them up. He was suddenly struck with the sense that the blackness was closing in on him, but that feeling was alleviated a bit as Navi's glow brightened. Under ordinary circumstances, a fairy's aura was the perfect thing for lighting a path through the forest on a dark night or to finding some potatoes in the root cellar; in those instances there was always some other source of light, however slight, but, under the roots of the Great Deku Tree, the darkness ate up its opposite like a hunger-crazed beast.

"B-boy, it sure is d-dark in here!" the boy exclaimed in an attempt to shake off his jitters and the chill that crept into his very bones.

He was still on his knees, as the tunnel was quite small; his fairy floated close to his head, which was right about halfway between the ceiling and the floor. They were very gradually going downwards. By Navi's glow he could dimly glimpse most of what surrounded him; all was either soil or root.

"Yes, it sure is. Are you doing okay, Link?"

"Y-yeah. If I let a little darkness scare me Mido would have shut me into the root cellar much oftener than he did."

"Well, I guess he did you a favor then, if it helped you get used to dark places."

The youth's only reply was, "Hah!" as he wasn't about to admit that his nemesis had done him a good turn. Navi wisely decided to keep silent on the matter, as she could tell that it was yet a very sore subject with him.

They progressed onward without a word for nearly a minute. The small passage hardly seemed to open further and since he certainly hadn't the space to stand, Link continued crawling along on his hands and knees, which were already quite grimy. Because of the narrowness of the tunnel he occasionally bumped the bulge in his pocket and either of his elbows against the wall. The utter silence was only marked by his breathing and the scuffling, sometimes scraping sounds as he crawled along and often had to yank his feet from small roots sticking up from the soil, or to clear the tiny, capillary-like roots and spider webs that got tangled in his hair. Being bored, the boy's mind ran rampant with a barrage of thoughts, not at all helped by the eerie atmosphere; he began to think that he would be in there forever, when his companion suddenly ceased her flight.

"Look, Link," she said, quietly gesturing with an almost invisible finger.

At first the child could not discern what had excited her so, but then he realized that there were two yawning openings of darkness before him. They had come to a junction and as far as Link was concerned there was only one problem.

"Which way do we go now?"

"Not that." Navi shook her head. "Get closer. Look at the wall right here."

Link scooted nearer and peered through the dimness to catch a glimpse of that which so concerned her. When he did, the color that had come back to his dusty face immediately made itself scarce once again. What distressed them both was a minuscule bite in a root on the wall between the forks of the tunnel, but wasn't a mere nick that would promptly heal itself; it was a festering, though tiny, bite through which leaked a few drops of the perfect sap that coursed through the veins of the Deku Tree and from him to the forest. The boy was very quiet for several moments, his heart beating such a rhythm that he was sure Navi could hear it.

"It's that…thing, isn't it?" First he mumbled and then he burst with a quite justifiable anger at the creature that would harm his beloved guardian. "It really is eating the Great Deku Tree!"

"Yes. We have to find it, quickly!"

He agreed with a nod and set his jaw. "Which way do we go?"

The fairy briefly inspected the mouth of each fork of the tunnel and discovered a few more tiny marks on the wall of one branch. "This way!" she exclaimed and they continued in much the same direction as they had been going.

"Should I take out my sword? Maybe that thing is nearby…"

Navi pondered the question thoroughly before she made her reply in the negative. "In such a small space having a blade out will probably do us more harm than good. I'm sure you'll be able to draw it quickly if the need arises."

"Well, if you're sure, okay."

As speedily as he could, the child crawled along for several minutes; Navi preceded him by about a foot. Both were silent, though Link took a number of glances at his companion. Meanwhile, she was becoming more agitated as she tried to decide what she was course of action to take. Her problem was not determining which path to take when they came to the occasional two- or three-pronged fork, for it was becoming even easier to know which way to pursue. She worked herself into quite the mental sweat as she wrestled with both sides of the issue, until a voice broke into and interrupted her thoughts.

"Navi, how come you didn't come to be my fairy sooner?"

The minuscule being was so surprised by the inquiry that she actually ceased her flight, but Link continued until he had reached the outer circle of her glow, whereupon he turned around. He cast his gaze upon her as if to say, "Why have you stopped?"

Instead, he titled his head and said, "What's wrong, Navi?"

"O-Oh, nothing. Let's keep going," she replied, after a shake of her head as if to clear it. "I just wasn't expecting a question like that."

She resumed her illumination of the path they traversed and the boy scrambled after her, but she felt his eyes upon her. Navi knew quite well that she was not going to escape the curiously-minded query, for the child would surely repeat it.

At last, after some desperate moments grasping for the right words, she replied with quiet words. "I came to you because of the Great Deku Tree's order."

"That's not what I meant. How come you didn't become my fairy when I was a baby and in my flower?"

The tiny fairy had been facing Link but as soon as her words left her mouth she turned around, so as to ensure that she was not flying blindly into an obstacle or one of the many spider webs that had already made the boy's hair nearly white. Now she was glad that she wasn't facing him; she was loath to let him glimpse the expression upon her face.

"I don't really know. I didn't receive a call to be your guardian until this day, and it was the Great Deku Tree who summoned me. When a fairy assumes the post of guardian for a young Kokiri, it is a different sort of call. It is a call that we feel in our blood. To the fairies of the forest, no other task is quite as important as watching over the Kokiri."

Link let the words sink in for a couple of seconds, whereupon he followed with another question. "So, what were you doing when the Great Deku Tree called you?"

She was still looping her way beneath and around the webs on the walls of the tunnel and she kept her back to him. "I serve the Fairy Queen, as most fairies without charges do."

"The Fairy Queen… Is she powerful, like the Great Deku Tree? Where does she live? What do you do for her?"

"Hold on, now, Link! You're getting too excited! First of all, our queen is and has been our leader since the goddesses appointed her as such."

"You mean at the beginning of the world?!"

"Well, not quite that far back. For a little while there was one fairy queen before she who reigns now. That was for a thousand years or so."

She said it as if that span of time was nothing. "A thousand… years…?" Link muttered, hardly able to comprehend the number, as he only had ten under his belt.

"The first fairy queen died of a very peculiar illness. It was so peculiar because we fairies rarely die and never get sick. Anyway, that was when the goddesses, by way of a heavenly messenger, appointed a new fairy to be sovereign and she has guided us for countless millennia. She has all the powers necessary for an exalted fairy such as herself, and wisely does she use them to aid people through the far reaches of the world. Have you ever noticed the little things in the forest that add their little bit of beauty to the world—dewdrops, tiny rainbows cast into the air above a stream, a slight breeze that carries the scent of pine and flowers? All those and so many more are the work of fairies who weave those delights with their hands and magic. Their simple purpose is to add more beauty to the world and to gladden the hearts of those who notice it and are comforted by it."

Link had never spared much brain function for those small things that Navi mentioned, but he knew that Saria appreciated them and only because of her enthusiasm was he aware of their existence. He decided that he was going to scrutinize those little things very closely in the future.

"So how come I never see any fairies around except for guardian fairies?"

"Oh, that is very simple. Fairies generally prefer to keep themselves from the sight of human eyes, or as is the case of this forest, from sight of the Kokiri."

"Why? Are they afraid of being seen?"

"No. It all goes back to the time when one of fairykind grew over-prideful and even went so far as to try to depose the king who reined in Hyrule. The Fairy Queen was very displeased and she had no alternative but to exile that bad fairy. Ever since then, the working fairies have kept themselves hidden and do not try to gain recognition for their good deeds. It's sort of a penance for what that one wicked fairy did."

The talk of kings and exile were as of yet a bit over Link's head. He returned to one of his earlier queries. "So, what did you do?"

"Like I said, I serve my mistress, the queen of fairies. My task, along with a lot of other fairies, is to do her bidding. We run errands, wait upon her, prepare food, perform all the little magical things that she wishes for humans, hylians, and other races, and just generally aid her in making the world more beautiful. When it comes to making an important decision, she calls upon her appointed governesses of different parts of the world—the Great Fairies—to come and advise her. The Great Fairies are the most important of our kind, next to the queen of course. They are specifically trained to watch over and protect certain areas, usually one for each race of Hyrule. Most fairies have healing abilities, but some have honed it to such a degree that they can cure serious diseases and bring back a person from the precipice of death."

"Are all the fairies so little?" Link said it quickly and without malicious intent. He was only a child and children did not normally beat around any bushes.

Thankfully, Navi didn't feel slighted in the least. "Most of the fairies are my size, but both the Great Fairies and our queen appear as full grown women."

The word felt strange on his tongue and he rolled it off a few times. "Women? Women? What's 'women'?"

And that's when his companion remembered that he was only a boy and that he hadn't been exposed to the world. "Do you know what an adult is?"

"Of course! The Great Deku Tree told me about them. Adults are children, like me, who have grown bigger than we ever get. Why do they get bigger and we don't?"

"Ask me that one later. Okay, so a woman is just a girl who's grown up and a man is a grown-up boy. Does that clear it up for you, Link?"

Whatever he was about to reply was forever lost because the two little adventurers suddenly emerged in a space, though fairly small, was much roomier than the tunnel from which they'd just come. A miniscule shaft of light somehow found its way through a great deal of earth and other obstructions and reached its end when it struck a massive root that protruded itself through the center of the room. The near end of it sloped fairly steeply into the ground but by all appearances the far end was very abrupt and looked like the end of a tree when pulled forcibly from the soil. Said root was surrounded by tiny little green sprouts that covered the floor of the cavern, and was itself covered in similar growth and moss. The walls looked much like the close ones filled with spider webs that had surrounded the boy and his fairy, but these were alive with a great, countless number of verdant, miniscule growth. In the air were a multitude of tiny particles that, upon reaching the fragile ray of sunlight, shone like flecks of gold. The room was quite a welcome surprise to both child and guardian. Very little could have kept Link from gaping in amazement at what seemed to him a ginormous cavern after the cramped space to which he'd almost grown accustomed. The beginnings of a grin crept to his begrimed face.

"Look, Navi! It's sunlight!" he cried, as if he had never expected to see it again.

The sudden exclamation sent the nearby dust particles in a flurry, immediately after which Link heard a rustling sound. He tensed up like the elastic band of his slingshot did when stretched to its limits. He remembered his fairy's earlier caution about being able to draw his sword; he tore it from its sheath and held it out, clutched in a shaking fist.

"Be careful, Link!" came the whispering voice in his ear.

He nodded and his fairy remained floating near his head as he first scanned the area, and then crept forward. The only cover that the room offered was the considerable root in the middle, so the child warily sidestepped his way around it. He was absolutely certain that the creature that had been taking bites out of the Deku Tree was now hiding behind one of his roots and, afraid as he was, he was not about to let it escape him. I won't let it eat away at the Great Deku Tree! I've got to get it! he thought, and attempted to steel himself for something nasty.

However, upon coming around the side of the great root, Link saw nothing. He blinked and cast a searching gaze rapidly about.

"It went around to the other side!" he exclaimed.

Forgetting all cautionary measures, he dashed around to the other side but was again met with a view of wall, root, ceiling, and green-growing floor. The child repeated the process several times and garnered identical results, which caused him no small amount of consternation and frustration. It was so maddening and he was already in a nervously frazzled state that he was on the verge of throwing his sword into the turf, tearing off his cap and stamping upon it, (just to have something to ruin) when the cool voice of reason once again sounded in his ear.

Navi murmured, so as not to let their unseen adversary hear, "Link, have you noticed how whenever you move around this end of this root, there's a rustling that comes from the other end? Whatever it is hears or sees us coming and darts around to the other side!"

That latter part Link had already figured out for himself, but he crept about the root again and listened closely. Sure enough, Navi was quite right. There was that whispering of something moving away as soon as he came around the obstruction. The boy experimented a few more times in an attempt to catch a glimpse of whatever it was, but it was swifter than he.

He sheathed his blade, wiped his cobweb-streaked nose with the back of his grubby hand, and whispered right back to his companion. "How do we get it to stop coming around like that?"

"I'm not sure… Maybe if you make it think that we're coming down the length of the root and not around this end?"

Link trod noisily in the suggested direction, made an about face and dashed as quickly and as quietly as he could back around the sloping end of the root, but his hopeful expectations fell flat on their proverbial faces.

"It didn't work," he sighed. "But I have an idea of my own now."

The youth then proceeded to climb that mound of a root, but with such scrabbling and grasping for hand and foot holds that any attempt at surprise was mercilessly quelched. When he finally had enough height to peer over the top of the obstruction, the object of all his concerns was nowhere within sight. Link thought he would be able to catch it if he scrambled atop the root and then pounced upon the creature, an idea which proved to be much easier said than done. In his effort to gain the summit of that great wooden artery, he took his foot from one place, only to find that there was nowhere else to put it; he grappled with out-flung arms to feel for a likely spot, his grip slipping. His aching fingers and toes could no longer stand the strain and they let go altogether, leaving the child right back where he had started.

Struck with a new flash of inspiration, Navi put her head halfway in her charge's ear. "Hey, Link, I have another idea. Maybe it can see my glow and thereby marks your movements. Be very quiet now, and move around the root while I remain here and I'll keep whispering, but louder."

Link did as she bid; he crept around the near end of the root, noiselessly down the long side and suddenly found himself face to face with a be-leafed little creature who was crouched, if it could be called that, by the other end of the huge mound, peeking around the corner of massed soil and root. It turned around, whereupon the green-clad boy saw it for the Deku scrub that it was; it emitted a little squeaky cry of surprise, which in turn made Link jump, and the scrub made a clumsy bolt for the nearest tunnel.

"Don't let it get away!"

Navi's cry brought Link to his senses and he made a lunge for the unfortunate member of the Deku clan. The latter struggled and whimpered but could not escape from the determined grip of a boy who had been too long thwarted.

"Let go! Let go me!" came the squeaky, terrified cry of the young scrub. "Don't hurt me!"

The guardian fairy flew over and tried to bring calm to the little struggle. "We're not going to hurt you. We just want to talk to you. Right, Link?"

He nodded. "Yeah, of course! If you don't try to escape I won't have to hold you down."

The Deku scrub ceased his fruitless struggles and eyed both boy and fairy a mite suspiciously. "Why do you chase me?"

"Why'd you have to be so secretive?" Link demanded right back. "It's not like we were trying to hunt you down!"

"Link, hush! You have to be friendlier!" Navi scolded. She made her voice gentle and comforting and again addressed the scrub. "Have you seen tiny bite marks in some of these tunnels? There is a nasty creature that is eating away at the Great Deku Tree and we have to find it and kill it right away. It's trying to kill him!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the disgruntled wooden boy replied, quite disinterestedly.

While keeping both eyes on the seemingly untrustworthy Deku scrub, Link's bad temper worsened and he pressed onward with his none too diplomatic questions. "What are you doing here, anyway? Are you working with that thing?!"

"Link! I told you, 'Be nice!' And let go of him. We can't expect him to answer our questions if you're cutting off his circulation!"

The boy suddenly let his captive, only slightly smaller than himself, loose. Non-verbally did he dare the scrub to run away without answering their queries. "Okay, now tell us."

The be-leafed little creature shook the foliage on his head and replied, sullenly, "Deku scrubs often come here, to caverns beneath Deku Tree. He doesn't mind and we get to eat the bugs in here. This is a fine hiding place from other forest things who want to fight with us. Deku scrubs don't like to fight but we have to sometimes. We like peace. I haven't seen thing that eats Deku Tree. I only want to find food for belly."

"Does the Great Deku Tree really allow them to come in here?" Link mumbled aside to his companion.

"Yes, I'm sure it's quite true. It's rather a symbiotic relationship. Well, if he doesn't know anything, we'd best be on our way. We still have to find that creature, as soon as we can."

"Wait," said the young Deku. "Would you like to trade? I have something nice."

Link had already expended so much energy in the pursuit of the scrub, he had been so wound up when he thought that the Deku was the creature they sought, and returning to his mind was the extreme urgency of their mission. He was about to turn away, for surely a scrub could have nothing of the slightest interest to him, when a chunky wooden hand extracted from some unknown place an item very familiar to him. It was his slingshot!

He made a grab for it and exclaimed, "Where did you get that?!"

The cunning scrub was grinning, or at least the closest thing to a grin that one of the Deku tribe could emulate; his round mouth was curved nearly into a half moon. His eyes shining with an inkling of greed, he was quick to yank the precious item back from sight and the reach of the indignant Link. "It is mine. I find it in the forest."

"No, it isn't yours! It's mine! I worked really hard to make that slingshot. Give it back!"

"Finders keepers. That is rule. If you want it, you must trade with me. What do you have?"

"I don't want to trade! I just want you to give it back!"

"You should have thought of that before you grabbed me. You don't want to trade? I will leave now."

In that moment Link learned, too late, what consequences his actions had produced. As if a veil had just been lifted from his eyes, he realized that he had been little better than the bully that he had always hated in Mido, to a Deku scrub who was certainly younger than he was. He had given into his less noble impulses simply because of the agitation, frustration and exasperation of the little roundabout chase around the root. He was instantly and thoroughly ashamed of his actions and though he couldn't just admit it right out, he made a vow to himself, right then and there, that he would never, ever be a bully toward anyone again.

He had to bite his tongue and his pride, just a little. "Wait! Don't go. Fine, I'll trade!"

The young Deku turned about again. Did he know these forest children or did he not? They were so predictably sentimental over such little things!

Aside, to Navi, Link whispered, "What do we have to trade? I don't have anything." He then noticed the scrub's eyes upon the hilt of his little blade and the fine red jewel encrusted therein, and he burst out, "You can't have my sword! I need it for fighting that thing!"

The guardian fairy nodded in complete agreement. "I'm afraid that is one thing that we cannot offer you. Anyway, it is a blade sacred to the Kokiri. We could not trade it away for anything." She lowered her voice for only her companion to hear. "Hurry, Link. Go through your pockets and find something. We must be on our way!"

Already sticking his hand into one of those openings, Link found nothing. His fingers passed over his belt and the few flowers stuck therein that hadn't fallen or snapped with all his activity. He supposed that he wouldn't be giving them to Saria after all, which made him feel sad, and they certainly wouldn't do for a trade. When turning his attention to the other pocket, all at once he recalled the second apple that he'd been carrying around for at least a couple of hours. He withdrew it hastily, ripping the outer seam of said pocket just a little, and examined the piece of delectable fruit. It was a bit grimy, for the soil that practically covered the boy had also found its way into his pocket and every other conceivable corner. The snow apple was also bruised in a few places, due to its inadvertently being used as an occasional bumper, and it sported a slight gash where a particularly nasty bit of a root had pierced its skin and the weave of the pocket, but it remained a most delectable sort of delight.

Link held the fruit in outstretched hand, where it just hit a bit of the sunlight that filtered down. Despite its blemishes, the white skin of the apple seemed to glow and shine. Even the young Deku scrub knew the value of the snow apples; his little snout of a mouth dribbled with saliva.

"This is all I have to trade. Take it or leave it," the green-clad child declared. He was dreadfully afraid that the scrub wouldn't want to exchange, but he did his best to cover his apprehension with an air of indifference.

In his own attempt to veil his true feelings, the young Deku once again produced the slingshot and held it in a careless, bark-gauntleted hand. "I am used to better things for trade, but I will take it.

It was impossible to keep the smile from breaking out of his mouth as Link, in turn, held out the snow apple. He snatched up the toy that he had feared as lost, and at the same time the scrub grabbed the white fruit. Both examined the items quite closely. Link inspected his toy weapon and declared it no worse for its little excursion, while the Deku marveled over the apple and thought how jaw-dropping delicious it would taste, for the Deku scrubs very rarely saw any of that particular fruit unless they 'appropriated' it.

The green-clad boy was in such a good humor over his returned slingshot that before he left he spoke once more to the young scrub. "I'm sorry I was rough with you. I really thought at first that you might be that creature we're hunting, but now I know you're not so bad. Goodbye!"

The scrub did not reply or even acknowledge the apology, but simply waddled away. Link appeared sad at the lack of response, but he could not dwell upon it, for Navi was already headed for the mouth of the tunnel opposite to the one from which they had originally come. Once again they entered into a darkness that would have been complete save for the glow of the fairy; Navi flew speedily and her charge crawled after her with as much celerity as tired hands and knees would allow.

"That scrub wasn't such a bad guy," he admitted to his guardian fairy. "I wonder if we'll see him again?"

"I don't know…" she replied a bit absently. "Look, Link, I have to tell you something. I was trying to decide whether or not I should earlier, but now I've made up my mind. Have you noticed those bite marks in the walls of these tunnels?"

The youth thought about it for a moment and shook his head. "They haven't disappeared, have they?"

"No, they've been getting bigger. That's why I was hurrying you along. It must be traveling very quickly and its doing just what the Great Deku Tree warned us about."

Link was almost afraid to inquire further. "What is it doing?"

"That creature eating the Great Deku Tree is growing!"

Not another word passed his lips after that utterance, but his pace increased and his eyes and mouth took on a firm, almost hard look that boded no good for the thing that lurked somewhere in those tunnels.

By and by, a gnawing feeling grew in Link's stomach. So great was his desire to find the creature they sought that he kept silence for some time, just so they could continue on their journey. He was thirsty also, as he'd long since drained the goat hide flask he carried on his belt. Every once in a while he licked his lips and rubbed his belly, which felt as though a great pit was yawning ever wider inside. The growls increased until the child couldn't stand it any longer; he stopped crawling, sat back on his haunches and turned his gaze up at Navi, all with his hand upon his very empty tummy.

"I wish I hadn't given that apple away, though. I am so hungry!" As if to illustrate his point, his stomach gave a rumble louder than each that had preceded it.

Navi, too, ceased movement; she hovered in the air and tried to think quickly of a solution. "Oh, that is a problem. Hmm… If only we could find another one of those little caverns with things growing in them. Then I could make up some food for you. Do you think you could hold on for a little longer?"

The boy ran his hand over his tummy again. "I… I guess so. Will it be soon? I am so hungry!"

"I do hope we come to one of those little rooms very soon…"

They continued onward, passing through a few more branches in their path, at which Navi prayed to the goddesses that she was choosing those that would take them to the place they must reach. By this time, the tunnels had been widening ever so slightly that Link could nearly stand; as a result, he made decidedly better progress as he tripped along with head bent, thinking of apples, potatoes, goat's milk, carrots and stew, and all the wonderful—or not so wonderful—food that was so plentiful within the Kokiri Forest. Why, he would even have given a half-hearted smile for one of those horrid old rutabagas!

Every once in a while the boy begged of his fairy, "Navi, are we almost there? My stomach feels so funny…"

She usually replied, "Oh, I think so, Link. I do hope so. Just try to hold on as best as you can, okay?"

They continued in that manner for a space of time not counted in minutes, but by the groanings of a certain boy's belly. When they came to what must have been the thirteenth fork, Navi was prepared to go down one of the three branches, except that her companion had a different idea. Link, who was hungrier than ever and tired of traveling on an empty stomach, obstinately began traversing one of the other paths.

"Link, what are you doing? Come this way!"

"No, I want to go this way."

"Don't be stubborn. Come on! We're going down this path!" Her voice became smaller as he was moving further down the tunnel.

"No! I'm going this way! Besides, I see some light down there."

Navi joined him in two seconds flat and she saw for herself that he spoke the truth. A slight bend in the tunnel had hidden any indication of light from her view as she looked down both passageways. Already Link was hurrying forward, without caring that she was behind him and therefore not lighting his way. He tripped on a small obstruction that escaped his sight because of the dimness, but immediately picked himself up and forged onward.

That second room in which they found themselves in a matter of minutes was much like the other, except this one had several boulders, scattered in a semi-circular pattern, and covered to their very tops with moss, lichen and other green growth. Link dropped onto the damp green ground within the little pool of sunlight that shone down between the rocks. Beneath a slight overhang of the nearest boulder a tiny, crystal pool had gathered, from which the boy lapped up the wonderful essence of life. Licking the last drops from his lips, he gazed expectantly up at Navi; he didn't know how she could produce food for him just because they'd come to one of those green rooms, and still he relied upon her with all of his little heart.

Without throwing a single second carelessly to the wayside, she cast her eyes about the room and located the ideal spot next to one of the boulders. She hovered over the ground there, where, upon close examination, one could glimpse some tiny mushrooms poking their brown little caps through the verdant mat covering the whole floor. Palms up, she extended her hands over that bit of ground and appeared to be concentrating very hard; her lips moved very slightly but without sound. Link really had not the slenderest of inklings as to what she was doing but nothing could have torn his hungry eyes away from her, not even the arrival of the creature they sought.

Then something quite marvelous started to happen. Beneath Navi's hands the mushrooms and some other green sprouts were growing! By the time she lowered her hands and flitted to the side of her charge, the growth was very plump, very fresh, and just begging to be eaten.

"There," she said with a certain amount of satisfaction. "That's the best I can do for now. Go on, eat. They're quite edible."

After a moment of wide-eyed amazement and bewilderment, Link scrambled to the spot without waiting for curious inquiries or anything else, tore two handfuls of white-spotted mushrooms from the soil and then crammed as many as could fit into his mouth. The only sustenance he'd had earlier was a single apple, but he felt as ravenous as if he'd gone for a couple of days without food.

"Fif if fo goo!" he mumbled through a mouthful. Navi could only guess that perhaps he was saying how good the mushrooms tasted.

The boy had not forgotten their ultimate mission in that place and he was ever-mindful of the great need to keep moving. He stuffed his face for a couple of minutes until his hunger was assuaged, patted his tummy contentedly, and then proceeded to gather all the rest of the mushrooms and greens that remained, which he transferred to his pockets. Once he'd plucked every last bit, he stood up and, by mutual, unspoken consent, he and his fairy again plunged into the darkness of the winding tunnels.

"Navi?"

"Yes, Link?" Her tone was even, yet it held an underlying current of gentleness.

"Thanks for the food. I know it's important that we keep after that thing, but I was so hungry…"

"It's quite all right. I'm only sorry I didn't think of it sooner."

"How did you do that? Make the mushrooms grow like that, I mean."

"It's pretty simple for a fairy to call upon a plant's instincts to grow. Using a little bit of magic and in the right conditions, a fairy can make pretty much anything grow to its full size in a short time."

Link fixed her with button-wide eyes and as a result he tripped again upon another unobserved obstruction in his path. "You can do that?!"

"Why, yes. It is really quite easy in the forest because everything is already filled with the magic that stems from the Great Deku Tree."

"I guess fairies don't have to eat, huh?"

"Oh yes, we do. We can go for a while without eating because fairy food is very rich and sustains us for some time. We can also eat the sorts of things that you eat, but as such it's not so filling."

"Are you hungry right now? Do you want a mushroom… or two?" He produced two somewhat squashed bits of the fungi from his pocket.

A very genuine smile came to Navi's diminutive lips, which the boy only noticed briefly and in profile; she felt that she was always going to be delightfully (and sometimes not so delightfully) surprised at the many impulses of this new charge of hers.

"Thank you very much, Link, but I am quite satisfied right now. I think the best idea would be to keep them for yourself. You're going to need them more than I do, I'm sure."

He seemed satisfied with that. "Okay," he said and popped them into his mouth.

As they progressed through one passage after another, every so often Link pulled one of those brown and white fungi from his pocket and munch on it as he walked. He was mostly content—after all, the journey was much more pleasant when his stomach wasn't twisting itself into hungry knots—and though he was concerned about finding the creature that had been taking bites out of the massive tree, he found it hard to be too worried about finding it when it seemed ever beyond their reach.

After a while, a curious thing started to happen. As they traveled, they would see a pair of softly glowing eyes bouncing toward them. The first time it happened it gave Link quite a start; he stopped in his tracks, tremblingly drew his blade and held it out in a very sad attempt at looking threatening. He was all too relieved when the eyes entered the furthest reaches of Navi's glow and he glimpsed the wooden body and leafy headdress of a Deku scrub, which hurried past them without the merest glance. After that first one, quite a number of them trickled their meandering ways past the duo. Both the child and his guardian inquired the reason for the exodus and were met with a few rude comments and silence. Weary of and indignant at the lack of response, Link collared the next scrub that crossed their path.

"Look, all I want to know is what you guys are running from," he said, holding onto the scrub's not-too-spindly arm. He was not rough, but he did his best to be assertive.

"Don't play dumb, little boy. Unhand me before I give you a face full of nuts."

Navi took a turn. "Please, just tell us why all of you are leaving in such a hurry. Is it what I think it is?"

The scrub was surely an adult, most of whom were not fond of or friendly with any sort of human, save for trading purposes; this one was quite a surly member of the tribe. The eyes of this Deku blinked devilishly and it spoke next in a squeaky voice.

"'Finally, you woke up, you lazy boy! I'm Navi, the fairy. I'm glad to meet you!'" it said, in nearly perfect mimicry of a certain fairy's words.

The Deku scrub twisted out of Link's grasp, which had loosened due to his surprise, and the former was soon lost in the darkness. Navi colored just a bit and wondered if she actually sounded like that, but she brushed it off in a matter of moments; they had much more important things to attend to. She urged Link to keep moving.

"How did it know what you said to me this morning?" questioned an incredulous boy as he brushed past an immense web.

"Well, the deku somehow hear a lot of things that go on in the places they inhabit," said she. "It gives them a decided edge when they trade with people. Anyway, let's keep on. I'm pretty sure I know what they were running from."

"That thing?"

"I don't know what else it could be."

As he walked, Link looked upon the walls on either side; suddenly he saw something that made his blood feel as though it was frozen in his veins and his stomach performed a great flip-flop. For some time he hadn't really noticed the ever-growing bites upon those walls and he was suddenly struck with horror at how ghastly they looked. Whole strips of the thick bark were torn away, revealing tender, wet wood beneath. The bites were huge, deep, discolored and appeared to be festering; the pure sap that ran through the Deku Tree's veins oozed slowly from each tear. In fact, in the pure light provided from Navi's glow, the dripping liquid appeared to have a trace of something dark and nasty within, a poison that was tainting the life blood of the spirit guardian and perhaps the very forest itself. That dreadful sight caused Link to feel almost like he could give up those mushrooms that hadn't long been in his stomach.

The child was wildly indignant when he saw more scrubs beating a hasty retreat. "Why don't you fight back?" he yelled after them. "You cowards! Running away like that! Can't you even try to protect your home against this thing?!"

He was so riled up that he actually burst into tears. The boy stood there, in a tunnel torn by an ever-growing monster, as the tears flowed from his eyes and left clean rivers on a filthy face. His fairy fluttered about and tried to calm him.

"Don't worry so about them, Link. They don't really matter, anyway. All that is important is our mission."

"I… I k-know. I just… I just wanted to get a little help. That th-thing is terrible big… It must be! Look at the bites it leaves in the Great Deku Tree! H-H-How am I supposed to kill it?!" He fell to the ground on his knees and hid his face in his trembling palms.

Navi alighted on his shoulder and brushed close to his neck and ear. "You have me, don't you? If we are meant to do this thing ourselves then that must be why all the Deku are leaving. And I know you can, Link. You are smart and brave."

After a few moments he gulped down a sob and pulled his hands away "You… you think so?"

"Of course! I have faith in you, Link."

"Are you… sure?"

"I know it. Why do you think the Great Deku Tree picked you out of all the other children?"

Sniffling occasionally, Link huddled there for several moments without uttering another syllable, which gave his fairy's words a chance to absorb into his consciousness. It was really quite a comfort to hear them, for he had been less and less sure of himself. He felt as though he had already failed because he hadn't yet fulfilled the Great Deku Tree's urgent request; the creature was still on the loose.

At last he took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I'm ready to go. Let's go find that thing, Navi!"

"For the Great Deku Tree!" she echoed.

The child marched on, decidedly. He was still feeling a bit shaky and he had half a hope that assuming a brisk pace would aid him in ridding himself of those thoughts. Enough of this feeling sorry for myself! I cannot let the Great Deku Tree down! He is counting on me! So is Saria… and Navi, too! He was greatly comforted by the steady, nearby glow of his companion. He felt the slightest bit of warmth within that light, which chased away the goose bumps, just as her words had eased his state of mind.

They hadn't traveled for more than a minute before they came upon a particularly wicked gash in the wall to their left. The hole torn deep into the grain of the wood was almost larger than Link's head; in spite of his desire to keep it back, he shuddered mightily at the sight of it. In seeking a less disturbing sight his eyes were drawn to the large pieces of thick bark that the monster had torn through in order to get to the veins of the tree; most of the pieces were quite long and had jagged edges, but there was one that caught his eye. It was nearly the width of his body and amply covered his whole torso. He was suddenly struck with the thought that he should have something with which he could defend himself, and he halted long enough to stoop and snatch up the appropriately sized bit of bark.

Link examined it and held it up for his guardian fairy's inspection and approbation. "You see? It'll make a great shield, don't you think, Navi?"

"The very best," agreed she, wholeheartedly.

The only problem was to figure out how to hold the thing. The boy was not versed in the real-life use of weapons and defense mechanisms, but he could readily see that he needed something in the back of the shield by which to hold onto it. Upon turning it over in his grimy hands, he noticed that the backside was considerably softer than the outside, since it had just recently been a part of a huge root. He stopped again, pulled the sword from behind his back and clumsily, with enough care that he did not slice himself, carved a little opening in the back.

While resuming his trek, he slipped the entirety of four fingers of his right hand into that little gap and was quite pleased with the result. He held it up and shifted it around, testing it and getting accustomed to its unfamiliar weight. A shield was just the thing he needed to face off against the horrific monster that was more or less waiting for him! Link didn't realize it, but focusing his attention on something else had slowed the erratic beat of his heart, the trembling of his extremities, and the cold lump of fear was pushed to the back of his mind.

A warning from the wee fairy interrupted his admiration of the shield. "Link… sh! Look at that," she murmured, and gestured to something that glowed, very faintly, from far down the tunnel.

The boy peered where directed and whispered back, "Maybe it's another Deku scrub?"

"I don't think so…"

Whatever it was, scrub or something unknown, it was rapidly approaching them. All that the child and fairy could discern was a single yellowish orb that bounced slightly, as if with the movement of whatever creature to which it belonged. Link had the inkling that Navi's estimation was accurate, that it was not a member of the Deku tribe. Taking a deep breath, he drew his blade and held his shield at the ready. The hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention, accompanied by gooseflesh, and at the same moment he realized that it couldn't be a Deku scrub because this thing only had one eye. It was a most disturbing sort of eye, too. It was a very sickly shade of yellow, unblinking, and much too big for the height it seemed to be.

It all happened so quickly that Link later felt that his mind hadn't the time to process it and he simply had acted on reflexes, or instinct, or something like them. He had barely time to brace himself before the thing with a single eye—about as tall as a Deku scrub—was upon him. He was most fortunate that he had a shield, or the strangely sharp feather-like object on the head of the creature would have done some damage to him, instead of ramming into said device and stunning itself. The boy extricated it from his shield and attempted to end its life with a blow of his blade. He missed his mark, and only succeeded in chopping off one of the little monster's odd-numbered appendages; it screamed in shrill agony and backed away. Link would have made a little retreat too, but he was too stunned, too frightened, too glued to the spot to move a step.

Navi's relatively calm tones cut through the boy's panic. "Steady, Link! Don't be afraid!"

He'd never actually killed anything before, which was, in all likelihood, the reason that his hand shook and his small sword did not strike accurately. The green-clad child drew in a deep, trembling breath and faced the newly-enraged, one-eyed creature before him. It attacked him once more—the last thing it ever did, for Link drove the blade through its eye.

Staring glassy-eyed down at it, he whispered, "It's… dead. I killed it."

"You're all right, aren't you, Link?"

He didn't seem to hear his fairy. "Was that… was it that thing?"

"No, I'm afraid not. It was too small to have caused those wounds to the Great Deku Tree."

Horrified, the boy jerked his eyes upward to meet those of his companion. "You mean I'm going to have to kill something else? Something bigger?"

"Unless I miss my guess, these are the offspring of the monster we seek. That thing is a she and these are her babies!"

Link had to get away from the all-to-rapidly decaying corpse of the little creature before he was forced to give up his only meal of the day and he stumbled away with a bad taste in his mouth. Slowly, he became aware that he still held his sword in a grip so tight that almost the whole back of his hand was white, and upon glancing at the blade he was disgusted by the slimy substance upon it. Desperate to rid himself of any reminder of the kill, he ran his weapon through the thick, dangling spider webs and against the dirt of the walls, which was some small improvement.

"You did well," said the guardian fairy. "It was the only thing you could have done, for it tried to kill you and would have if you didn't finish it first."

"Yeah… I know. It was me or it. I don't know if I can get used to this killing… It's really nasty."

The sorrowful look in Navi's eyes could not be accurately described as just sadness; it was rather a haunted look. She nodded in absolute acquiescence. "It always is, Link."

Perhaps he shouldn't have squeezed shut his eyes; perhaps he would have been better off paying attention to his surroundings. He wished, deeply and absolutely that he could forget the sensation of snuffing out the life, however monstrous, of anything. The boy had hadn't even time to settle his nerves and get back his breath before another one of the little creatures leapt at him from the darkness.

"Link! Look out!"

Another of the offspring met its death before a minute had elapsed, and many more were to follow. The tunnels seemed full of them and in a never ending flood they kept coming after the child. The slaying of them did not come any easier to him; he tried to blot it from his mind and not to think about it, with little success. His arms were already feeling like a plant without turgor pressure, the sweat found escape through his every pore and he was so thirsty that his tongue felt like sandpaper. Yes, he was quite miserable and likely would have given anything within his power for a cool dip in a shady pool of the village stream, but his one consolation was that he was not alone.

After some time of almost mindlessly killing the little creatures, both Link and Navi perked up their ears. Something was making a noise that could barely reach them. It sounded like: "H—e—l—p…"

The boy broke into a run. Here was something that appealed to his curious and helpful nature. He didn't seem to mind so much dispatching the little creatures that came after him when there was someone was in trouble. As he sped along, the pitiful voice gradually became a bit louder.

"Help… me…!" it cried, weakly. If it wasn't for the voice, Link might not have been able to find his way and therefore give assistance.

What he saw upon reaching the source of the wails caused him to feel spiteful, saddened, and enraged all at the same time. Within a great bulge, caused sadly enough by the she who ate into the life of the tree, several of the young monsters were battering a small bundle of leaves that was, in fact, a Deku scrub. Link was inclined to think that it served the scrub right, for hadn't all of them run away as soon as danger came? He knew how wrong that thought was, though, and he was discouraged with himself for contemplating something that would bring that sad look into Saria's eyes. Then he was filled with such an anger toward the attacking creatures and he rushed headlong into their midst with a lusty holler.

The end result was that Link had purple scrape on his left cheekbone, to match the bruises that had faded not at all since his fight with Mido, and another, deeper one on the back of his left calf. They stung mightily, but he was still riled up and, wishing to save his pride while in front of the scrub, he did not stop to lick his wounds. The little monsters were all dead and lay in a ring around him and the small Deku, the latter of which peeked from his quivering headdress of foliage.

"Hey, it's you again!" the green-clad boy exclaimed, a small smile bringing the sunbeams back to his face.

"Y-you saved me?" stammered the scrub, undone by the harrowing experience.

"Ha ha! Yeah, I guess I did." He bent down slightly to shake the scrub's limp hand. "Um, maybe you should leave now. There is something really nasty in here and it's my job to hunt it down. You should go where it's safe."

That member of the Deku tribe stared at him. Link gestured in the direction he had come and nodded his head. "Maybe I'll see you later," he added. "Bye for now!"

Both Link and the scrub wound their own paths away. The former met many more of those young, hideous creatures and he still hated as much as ever to slay them, he kept going with a right good will. He was making excellent progress and they were hardly enough to hamper it. He still looked with dread in coming upon their mother, but that he could not shy away from. He tried to think of other things, of Saria, the young scrub who he felt he could be friends with, of Mido and the other Kokiri. At the mental mention of that other boy, Link tried to bring up the resentment that he'd felt earlier, to give him another bit of incentive for fulfilling his mission and rubbing Mido's nose in it, but those petty squabbles meant so little when he faced actual danger in this place.

The boy's thoughts were suddenly and quite abruptly torn asunder when another sound tickled his ears dreadfully and filtered through his brain. Actually, the sound was more than just one thing. First he heard a slight scrabbling, then a tearing sound that make his scalp freeze and the hair upon it stand up; he felt as though his own skin was being torn away. Some seconds of silence followed, pursued by a ghastly sucking noise, and then came the creepiest sound of all. It was completely alien to Link's ears, but the best way to describe was if someone were to whisper in a raspy, throat-less wisp of a voice: "Gohma. Gohma. Gohma."

His blood really ran cold when he glimpsed an eye, seemingly suspended in the air and closer to the ceiling than the floor, and much larger than those belonging to the small fry who had previously met death by his blade. Then, in the next terrible instant, that yellowy glowing eye turned toward him, blinked once, and did a thing that nearly made the boy's heart cease its rhythm in his chest; with more scrabbling, the eye moved closer to him but in sideways fashion, as if the monster was still attached to the wall. There was no doubt about it; the thing was coming for him! Link forgot all his confidence-inducing thoughts and succumbed to a most primal urge of self-preservation—run!

The panicked child bolted madly back along the tunnel with speed that he hadn't thought possible. He was sure he'd never run so fast in his life as he did in those breathless, dreadful, interminable minutes of flight. Behind him, he could hear pursuit; he could not bear to glance backward and could not take the chance that in that glance he might trip upon some obstacle in his path , which would surely seal his fate as a terrible one. At any rate there was nothing he would be able to see but that same horrifying eye. What petrified him still further were the slightest traces of breathing behind him, accompanied by the occasional noise, "Gohma."

Naturally, Navi had no trouble in keeping up with him, a fortunate thing because the boy could not find his way without her luminescence. She left behind her a trail of white-blue sparkles that fell, but faded before reaching the ground. She could not be glad of Link's on-the-spot decision of hasty retreat, but that was as far as it went. She could not blame him for bolting from the monster.

The tunnels through which Link dashed headlong were just as dark, just as full of twists and turns and forks, and just as filled with spider webs. It wasn't long before he was completely lost, so turned around that he couldn't have found his way if he'd had a map, growing shorter of breath at every moment, and still so crazed with fear that he didn't even consider ceasing his flight. However, it was cut short for him when, just as he was about to pass out from the extreme exertion, he very nearly collided with the wall of a dead end.

Such a lack of breath was his that he could hardly wheeze, "We—we're…trapped!"

Frantically aware of their ever-nearing pursuer, Navi darted about and wracked her brains for a solution. There was no way they could let themselves become another victim of this parasitic monster! Why was the tunnel so abruptly terminated? They hadn't reached any dead ends in all their exploration of the Great Deku Tree's root system, so why would there be one here? The fairy had the distinct impression that something of tremendous importance was hidden away on the other side of that wall.

She flitted nearer to her charge, who was hyperventilating and looked like he'd be just as happy to shrink into the wall, and her eyes lit upon what at first seemed a shadow near the ground. "It's a little crawl space, Link!" she cried, using the most of her tiny strength to push him toward it. "Hurry! Get inside!"

Somehow, the boy managed to slither into the very close space; immediately after came the dull sound of the Gohma creature smacking, none too gently, into the dead end. She emitted several hoarse shrieks of rage at a thwarted plan. Link emerged on his belly in a new, large room, but he did not get up. He lay in the dust, his energies seemingly spent, while Navi hovered protectively over him. She was most grateful for the opportunity for him to catch his runaway rate of respiration, but she knew that time would not be overlong. Already the monster on the other side was biting, clawing, and tearing her way through the wood that separated them.

Only when he could suck in air without feeling like his lungs were about to shrivel did Link rise to his knees and take notice of his surroundings. He inhaled a sudden, shaky, elongated breath and suddenly got very bug-eyed. "L-Look…!" gasped he.

Navi was likewise stunned by the sight that met her eyes. "Oh my dear sweet mistress, that we should see this—!

This room, like the others, possessed a tiny hole in the ceiling through which a mere smattering of sunlight sifted slowly downward, hitting the pedestal in the direct center of the room. Four hourglass-shaped structures of stalactites and stalagmites that had long ago clasped hands with each other were situated in none too perfect intervals around the centerpiece. Said pedestal looked somewhat like a huge stump as it was made entirely from wood and had a flat top, but the similarities ended there. It was, in fact, bursting with life; vines and leaves wound around the entire thing—to such an extent that an observer could hardly tell that there was wood underneath—and the top was covered with hundreds of delicate little sprouts with perfect veins and stems and even more wonderful leaves. None of those was the most fabulous thing in that room, however; what immediately drew the attention was a glowing object that just barely touched the center of the verdant pedestal. It possessed such other-worldliness that describing it accurately would be too great a tax on the imagination. It was a mix of a great orb of pulsating, glowing, humming energy, a flower so bright that it cast little, crystal-like reflections of light all around it, and very beautiful physical manifestation of the wonderful force of life. Millions of tiny, pure white veins ran from it to bury themselves in the stumpy pedestal, whereupon those energies flowed through the blood of the Deku Tree, the sap, to the furthest reaches of the guardian spirit's root system.

"It is the life force, the very heart of the Great Deku Tree—and the forest!" the fairy marveled. "I am sure no one gets to see such a thing!"

Link's awe was too pronounced for words. His jaw slack, his eyes wider than apples, and a mind too stupefied from a barrage of different emotions that he simply knelt and gawped at the most marvelous, the most wonderful thing he'd ever seen. Finally, it occurred to him that he'd like to take a closer examination of it, and so the green-clad boy rose on legs that trembled from exhaustion or excitement, or maybe both; he stepped forward as one in a dream and his eyes remained glued upon that delightful object. He felt as though he could gaze forever upon it, drinking in the phenomenal beauty and the feeling of a very soothing power. Somehow, though, it seemed to be dimmer than it should, and Link could almost feel it trying to warn him.

Those moments of ecstasy were rudely cut short when the here-to-fore unseen monster burst into the room. Link spun and garnered his first look at her. With an appearance like a mutated spider, the she truly was hideous. She had several armored legs with claws at the end; it was hard to tell just how many she had because she was always moving and her big, bloated body got in the way, but she did not have the eight of a true arachnid. The only thing that had been visible in the dimness of the tunnels was her yellow eye, which was located in the middle of her head; directly below that was a fearsome mouth with a gruesomely fanged mandible. Two thick feelers sprouted from the crest of her misshapen head and could curve in any direction she pleased.

The creature dropped almost daintily to the floor and advanced upon the boy. Navi cried out, "Link, she's going for the life force! We must stop her!"

The child didn't need to be told twice. To his surprise, the dominant emotion that rose within him was anger rather than fear. Certainly, he was still afraid and his hand shook as he tore his blade from the scabbard, but he was also incensed. Behind him was the most supremely important thing to him, to Saria, to his fellow forest-dwellers, to the Great Deku Tree and the whole forest, and here was a horrific creature who wanted nothing but to destroy it! There was no way in the world he was going to let her wreak any further havoc!

With the carelessness of youth he rushed toward the Gohma creature, sword brandished and shield held close to his body. The monster fixed her gaze, one-eyed and baleful, upon Link; she curled one of her legs close to her body and as soon as the boy came close she struck him with it, sending him sprawling. Her claw, stained with the sticky sap that she had stolen, drained and consumed, left gouges in the thankfully thick bark of his sturdy shield. The second time she drove her claw at him she wrenched away his shield, which skittered several feet away; the third time she repeated her attack, the boy seemed to know what was coming, rolled smartly over several times, and came to his feet again with a little jump. He sent the most forceful blow he could muster toward her nearest leg, but his dinky sword bounced from her tough, armory carapace.

Several times did he repeat this, at different points but all with no success and punctuated between with slashings of the monster's claws. One of these swipes connected and left Link with a slight gash on the side of his head and which oozed blood. He clapped his empty right hand to the area, grimaced, and uttered an expression of pain, but he did not take his eyes from his opponent.

Navi darted between the eye of the Gohma creature, in many attempts to bring her attention away from the boy, and the ear of her charge, in which she whispered encouragement and advice. "Try to strike at the joints of her legs, Link! Her armor isn't so adequate there!"

He followed her advice and after a few misses, he slipped underneath one of her flailing limbs and jabbed the point of his sword into the leg with such force that he barely managed to remove it before she staggered backward. She screeched terribly and the sounds were like tiny knives to the sensitive ears of the child. She did not move forward again though, and Link took the opportunity to snatch up his shield and held it before his little body once again.

"Why isn't she trying to attack me again?" he inquired in a whisper.

"I don't quite know…" Navi murmured back.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and felt the thumping of his heart beneath his ribs. During the fight he had tried to figure out just what he was going to do. The monster, remained where she was, seemed to vibrate slightly. She was definitely much larger than her offspring and she'd grown to such a size that taking her down would not be easy. A thought leisurely poked its way into his brain and suggested that he would have to get to her eye, but therein lay the problem, for he had to get past those legs and that nasty mouth.

The mystery of her inactivity seemed ended when she once again moved, but to Link's surprise she didn't advance upon him. She made haste for the nearest wall and the boy wasn't yet sure what she was doing. He meant to keep his attention on her but he suddenly noticed five unusual objects that were now resting on the floor. They were a very dirty ivory, had red specks covering them, and were jiggling curiously. There was almost no time for him to wonder further about it, because from each one burst a baby Gohma creature. They besieged Link and he had his hands more than full with keeping them back; at the back of his mind was a little voice telling him he'd forgotten something.

"Watch out!"

Navi's cry came not a second too late; the boy glanced up in a panic, staggered back some steps and was very nearly squashed by the monster as she pounced at him from the ceiling. She was much too close for comfort and he couldn't readily back away without tripping on the three baby Gohmas that he hadn't killed; the best course of action open to him was to guard himself with his shield and maybe even try to wound her again. The Gohma creature knocked him to the floor with her claw stuck in his shield. Pinned down, the boy drove his sword for the joint of the leg that had him trapped and at the same time she lowered her wicked mandible.

"Aaaahh!"

Two cries of pain echoed in that cavern; Link had cut deeply into the monster's long appendage and his own thigh bore the twin marks of her fangs. The huge creature skittered back, favoring that freshly wounded leg and again screeching with this new burn of pain. Meanwhile, the green-clad child gazed almost stupidly down at his own injured leg; the parallel gashes that were on the outside of his left thigh throbbed unmercifully, and the hem of his tunic was also slightly torn.

His fairy was beside herself with concern. "Link, are you all right?!"

"Yeah, I think so… but it hurts!"

Navi examined the wound. "It doesn't look too deep," said she.

Sagging more than a little, Link felt quite done in, but even then he couldn't relax. The three of Gohma's offspring, further angered that he had hurt their parent, leapt upon his as one. He should have had an easier time in dispatching them, but his body seemed slow to respond to his commands and his brain felt like it was immersed in fog. Upon slaying the last of those bothersome little pests he looked down at his hands, which he hardly seemed to feel anymore, and realized that he'd dropped his shield. What is the matter with me?!

His companion echoed that one thought. "Link, what is the matter?"

The boy moved his lips, tried to make the words come, but they were all stillborn save one: "Numb…" He could hardly think as he dropped to his knees, his sword also slipping from his ever-weakening grasp. He no longer had the sensation of pain at the bleeding twin marks upon his leg.

"Dear goddesses preserve us! Those bites… You've been poisoned!"

Navi spoke with distressed animation, but in his dim awareness he barely heard her. The fairy floated in front of his face and pulled at his chin, trying to make the child look at her, without success. Then he fell onto his side.

"No, no, no! Don't pass out! Stay with me, Link!"

But he didn't hear her; he couldn't hear anything anymore. His half-lidded eyes rolled back in his head and an empty blackness engulfed his senses.

"Link!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long chapter, and I was originally planning to make it end sooner. Of course that didn't work out, but I wasn't too disappointed because it left me the chance for this delicious cliffhanger!


	5. Grief and Departure

Navi felt very much like crying as she fluttered over the fallen boy and screamed his name, to which he responded not.

"No, no, no! What do I do? This can't be happening! Oh, what do I do?!"

She landed on his chest and could hardly feel the heart that beat erratically within; the rise and fall of his chest was ever growing shallower. If only she was one of those fairies who had learned the skills of healing wounds and the illnesses that afflicted humans!

"Link…don't die… You have to get up and fight that thing…" she whimpered, in a manner befitting a small child. Then she cast her misting eyes upward and cried, "Don't let him die!"

Meanwhile, just a short distance away was the monster which had inflicted the damage. Having licked her wounds, the Gohma creature did not go after the stricken youth but advanced, unhindered, toward the glowing, shimmering life force of the Great Deku Tree. From the corner of her eye Navi noted the movement, but she did not leave Link's side, could not leave his side for he was her charge; she was bound to him, much as the Deku Tree was irrevocably tied to the forest as its guardian and protector, and as a father to the children who lived therein. There was nothing a tiny fairy like her could have done to stay the wicked thing; perhaps she could have flown into the yellowy eye, but little good would it do with no one to take advantage of the distraction.

Fruitlessly did she try to shake the boy into consciousness, an action during which two of the tiniest tears fell upon the green of his tunic. She put her ear to his chest and upon hearing nothing, thought that Link's heart had ceased its rhythm and nearly lost what little composure was left. Thoroughly panicked, she finally realized that he still clung to the thread of life, though he was slowly slipping from it.

"Oh, Great Deku Tree what do I do?" the fairy cried, closing her eyes and pressing her trembling white hands to her breast.

"Worry not, little guardian… Help is already on the way…"

Navi's eyes flew open and she scanned the cavern wildly in an attempt to figure out where the voice had come from. She noticed that the monster had momentarily ceased her advance upon the life force and she realized with a start that the guardian spirit's voice had come from that brilliant light. She was much too preoccupied to notice rustling noises that were rapidly advancing upon the room, making sounds like the shaking of many bushes.

"Isn't there anything I can do for Link?" was her woeful imploration.

Perhaps, under different circumstances, the Deku Tree would have gladly parted with just the tiniest fraction of his wonderful sap in order that Link should be cured; but now he could not, as the venom of the Gohma creature was taking its toll upon him, too.

"Navi, take the yellow flowers, the trifectium… Crush them…and place them under the child's tongue…"

The fairy couldn't waste a second in wonderment at the marvel of the guardian of the forest making himself heard so deep within his roots. She was puzzled for a moment as to what flowers he referred, but then she recalled with a start those that Link had plucked in the sacred meadow. She darted to the boy's belt and with a little difficulty extracted from beneath the somewhat smashed, three-petaled yellow blooms. Her heart blocking her throat, Navi tore and pounded the delicate petals in her hands. She had difficulty in forcing Link's mouth open enough that she could place the crushed blossoms therein, and several of the golden bits fell from her tiny trembling digits, but in the end her endeavors were successful.

The process had only taken some few seconds, but to the terribly anxious little guardian each one seemed longer than the thousand years that that the first fairy queen had reigned. Now all she could do was stay with her charge, hope that his young body would now be able to fight the deadly poison, and try to squeeze a prayer through the mess that was her mind. Those breathless moments of waiting for his recovery seemed ever so much more infinite than the seconds that had preceded them, but before a small fraction of minute had passed something happened to distract her but a little.

The sound that Navi hadn't noticed before—the sound of leaves that shouted more than whispered as they moved—entered the room with the Deku scrubs to which they belonged. It was a comparatively small band of Deku, considering how many she had seen going the opposite way, but these ones acted not like frightened squirrels and more like feisty forest foxes. Amongst their number was the young scrub who had twice met with Link, but not even he gave a glance to the prostrate boy and hovering fairy.

The leafy wooden people advanced upon the Gohma creature, who was in the beginning stages of sucking energy from the life force as she had from the veins of the tree, and they assailed her with an assorted barrage of nuts launched from their mouths. Many of the projectiles had no effect on her, but with the sheer number of them some were bound to hit a tender spot, as it happened. The Deku forced her back from the pedestal and no nearer Link.

Navi, who had still been watching him closely, despite all that went on around her, hadn't even time to give thanks for that most miraculous intervention when she observed a change in her charge. First his hand jerked, and then his leg, and then his mouth twitched into a slight grimace; he shivered, grew tenser, and then finally opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his fairy, poised over him with such an expression of agony that he was immediately drawn to a short-lived sympathy for her.

"N-Navi? What's wrong?" he mumbled, thickly.

"Oh, Link!" she cried, her relief escaping by way of her words because she would not allow more tears to fall. "I was so worried about you! But you're going to be okay now, thank the goddesses!"

He struggled into a somewhat upright position and tried to wade through the fog that invaded his mind. He was aware of and yet paid no attention to the merciless throbbing of his leg. What was happening to him? He was on the verge of questioning his fairy on the matter but a wave of nausea assailed him, whereupon such thoughts were driven from his brain and he was promptly a very sick little boy.

Navi patted his shoulder comfortingly; she commiserated with him and yet she was jubilantly relieved, just because he was alive. Yes, he would be all right, which was nothing short of a miracle. She reflected on how fortunate it was that he'd picked those blessed flowers; the fairy trembled with a strange shiver when she recalled how, during their journey through that meadow, she'd hurried him along and been annoyed at his everlasting lollygagging. Oh, if he hadn't plucked them he wouldn't be alive now!

Finally, after a few dry heaves with which nothing more could be expelled Link fell back on his elbows, his respiration raspy. His companion, noting the vomit upon his chin, took from seemingly nowhere a delicate piece of cloth, with which she wiped away the foul-smelling substance. The fabric was the size of quite a generous handkerchief, but to Navi it was more of a blanket.

"Are you feeling better now, Link?" she inquired, rather tenderly.

He managed to sit up, whereupon he gave an affirmative gesture and in a voice still hoarse said, "What happened to me? I don't remem— Oh, wait…!"

For the first time he noticed the Deku scrubs and their assault on the creature that had felled him, at which point the recollections of everything that had happened before came out from hiding. He wondered, for the briefest of moments, why the scrubs had deigned to return at all when they'd been so keen on making a beeline for any exit, but pushed that query aside for a later time. Still shaky, he rose to his feet and gathered up his blade and shield. There was one thought on his mind, however, aside from his reawakened fear and hate directed toward Gohma.

"Navi, I was poisoned, right?"

"Yes, Link," said she with a nod.

"Did I almost die?"

A slight hesitation, and then, "Yes, Link, you did very nearly die. If it wasn't for the Great Deku Tree and those flowers you picked, you would have."

The boy's mouth bore quite the resemblance to the round rings that adorned the hat of a skull kid, and his expression was a study of perplexity. For the moment, he was distracted from his goal.

"I'll tell you about that later. Right now, let's get that monster! We can't let the Deku do all the work!"

He needed no further encouragement; feeling like his energy was slowly returning to him, Link sailed into the battle with all the intensity of his young soul. The scrubs were holding their own, but were not making progress toward the actual defeat of the Gohma creature. She laid many eggs, which hatched with ever-increasing rapidity and the young thereof continued to hassle the scrubs. Link discovered it prudent not venture too close to her or else he'd run afoul of the barrage of nutty projectiles launched at her, but he employed himself in the work of eliminating the bothersome little Gohmas.

Having beaten the offspring to a pulp, he found himself wishing he could join the Deku in their ranged attack. Upon realizing with a start that he'd been carrying his slingshot with him all that time and completely forgotten about it, he could have kicked himself all the way around the room and back again. The ground was strewn with a great assortment of nuts, which was most fortunate for him; Link scooped up several and took profound delight in expertly sailing them toward the enemy, even if his shots smacked against and fell uselessly from her carapace.

He moved to his left to search for a better target and collided with a familiar scrub. "Hey!" cried the boy. "It's you!" And despite their surroundings, he smiled because he realized his words were almost identical to those he spoke on his last meeting with the aforementioned young Deku.

"You're able to fight again. That is good. We thought you were dead."

"Nope! I'm still alive! I'd ask you why you came back, but I guess this isn't a good time. Do you know if she has a weak point?"

"Her eye. Sometimes we get a nut in her eye; she screams in pain and hurts one of my people."

True enough, a number of the scrubs were lying to the side of the battle; some moved weakly and others not at all, but there were still enough unhurt scrubs to carry on the fight.

"Her eye, huh?"

Link viewed said organ with the recollection that he'd thought a similar thing earlier and simply couldn't put it to the test. While still engaged in physical activity, his mind was even busier with observations and calculations; he noted when he tried to shoot her eye that it was next to impossible to connect because it was well-protected by a layer of skin as thick as hide. After several tries, every one of which was spot-on but did no harm, the boy began to despair that he was wasting valuable time on a fruitless endeavor.

"Don't give up yet, Link," was his fairy's vocal rejoinder.

"But I don't know how! Whenever I shoot it, it bounces off!

"Remember: our young friend said they did strike her in the eye, so you can do it too. All you have to do is figure out how."

Navi's reassurance helped, but he wasn't exactly bursting with confidence. He observed the Gohma creature still further—she was particularly busy fending herself from the scrubs—and doubted very much that the battle would ever end. The Deku were forced to retreat several steps from the wide, wicked swipes of her clawed appendages, and she employed those few seconds in laying more grotesque eggs. Link viewed it with disgust, for it meant more distractions in dealing with the babies. Then his gaze moved to her eye and drifted away but he pulled it right back when he realized what he saw; in her concentration, Gohma had let her guard down and her single ocular organ was wide open.

"Link, this is your chance!" cried Navi at the same instant.

He was already tearing his slingshot from his belt and again fitting a handy pebble into its pocket. If ever the boy was glad for the months of practice he had assumed, it was at that moment. Hesitation was not his as he let the projectile fly for its mark, followed by a soft, squishy-sounding "whap!" and an enraged, aggravated scream of the monster. She fell back, clawing at her eye and emitting the gruesome noises, while Link dashed forward and, boosted up by the scrubs, drove into the yellow eye his blade, as deeply as the hilt would allow.

The screams were much more terrible and penetrating, to such a degree that Link felt like his ears would burst. He hadn't the chance to remove his sword, as the Deku who supported him were taking a beating from her claws; as he fell, one of her talons caught him in the back and tore several long slashes in his tunic, but she did not draw blood. The boy hit the ground with a dull thud and he found that he could not rise; his lungs felt as though all the air had been forcibly crushed out.

"Link, get up!" his fairy shrieked a bit more shrilly than she intended, for the Gohma creature was flailing wildly and blindly about and was much too near for comfort.

He gasped a couple of times and finally managed to wheeze, "My chest… my stomach… feel like they're pressing inward…!"

"You just got the air knocked out of you, that's all," she assured him. "Come on! The creature is nearly done for—finish her off, Link!"

Navi had never imagined, much less thought she was capable of the care of a young boy placed in her hands, not to mention that before they'd been together for twenty-four hours she was urging him to kill something. She was almost taken aback at her vehemence but she hadn't the desire to retract it. The aforementioned youngster had also not the merest inkling of what lay before him when he woke up that morning. If he'd known he'd be responsible for slaying a wicked creature that was otherwise trying to murder his dear father and guardian, he would have trembled and denied the suggestion. There are strange tricks that life plays when danger draws near, one of which is that the performance of detestable duties becomes no more pleasant, but somehow easier to slip into doing. Link's was to eradicate Gohma, a task to which he rose with a grimly set mouth and great loathing in his eyes.

Still gasping with a shortness of breath, he rallied the scrubs and a couple of them boosted him up again so he could reach his sword. He did not understand the thoroughly sickened feeling that pervaded his emptied stomach as he stabbed deeply into the monster's eye again and again. His wrath that she was destroying everything that was dear to him was lost in an overwhelming sea of fear, uncertainty, and self-disgust for what he had no viable option but to do.

At last, with a few horrible cries of pain, the Gohma creature fell to the ground, twitched a few times, and was quite still. The Deku scrubs let up a noise that was rather like a cheer, but it sounded doleful all the same, and then they tended to their fallen comrades. Link had the urge to upchuck again, though nothing would come, and he felt strangely like he'd swallowed his tongue. He stared at the grotesque corpse for a whole minute before he found his voice again.

"Is she really dead?" he queried tremulously, as if he couldn't believe the horrible thing was slain.

Navi herself was also experienced a tumult of emotions, but for the sake of her charge she answered as evenly as she could. "Yes, Link. This battle, at least, is over. The creature is dead."

Despite the state of his emotions, the boy could not forget the one who sent him on this mission. "Will the Great Deku Tree be all right now?"

"I…" Navi faltered. She wanted so much to reassure him, but she could not bring herself to misrepresent the situation. A lie would be more than futile when they once again emerged in the outside world.

Link noted her hesitation and was very downcast. He felt very deeply that he had been the cause of too many delays and thus hadn't sooner prevented Gohma from her destructive, rampant traversing of the tunnels. It was the worst thing in the world to imagine that if he'd been more skilled, not so stubborn, or so human, that he could have sooner saved the being he loved most.

"I don't rightly know," the fairy finished lamely. "We must leave this place immediately."

The child nodded sadly; it was one thought with which he found no fault. He was about to sheathe his blade when he noticed that the creature's blood and gore was still upon it. A shiver of revulsion passed through him and he quickly wiped it clean. Would he ever get used to things so nasty?

The young scrub had been watching Link and when he saw that the boy and his fairy were headed out, he shuffled right over before they could get away.

"You are leaving? I will show you the quickest way to outside," said he, and scurried ahead of them.

"What about the other Deku?" asked Link, making haste after the scrub lest he lose sight of him.

"My people take care of themselves. We don't need outsiders to worry about us." The words could have sounded very hostile, but the Deku's tone was free from such.

It was really quite amazing how quickly a scrub could travel; the green-clad boy had to move with some celerity to keep up, which was difficult because his leg still throbbed and made painful complaint at every move. Link had no idea how long he and Navi had fumbled about in the tunnels earlier, but they must have done much circling and going in roundabouts, for he could tell the path they took now was truer than any they'd been on before. Nearly an hour later, the passageways had shrunk and he was reduced to crawling along it once again. Their progress was not quite as speedy, though both boy and fairy could tell they were nearing the outside.

"Why did you come back?" he asked suddenly, for now at least he could speak without gasping for breath as he ran.

The scrub did not turn or slow his rustling pace. "Why did you come in here to fight that thing?"

Link was surprised; he had to mull it over before giving it a reply. "I… Well, I just had to, that's all. It was my job. The Great Deku Tree told me to do it; he was counting on me."

"All the scrubs could not ignore problem. We were being cowards as you said."

Had he said that? Link felt rather embarrassed now; fortunately for him the scrub was still scurrying ahead and hadn't the chance to see his discomfort.

"You are brave to come here and deal with monster. We are ashamed that you are braver than Deku tribe."

The child started. "I'm not… brave… really! I was so scared I ran from it! It was you scrubs who were brave when you came in to attack her!"

The bobbing scrub only shrugged and did not try to insist upon his point. Link considered the matter settled and he thought none too well of his part in the fight. Still with him was the cold feeling in his spine that had crept upon him when he heard the terrible shrieks and witnessed the dying throes of the Gohma creature. He did not feel as though he had the slightest ounce of courage in his veins while he held the memory that he had killed.

In the dozen or so minutes that followed, there was no further conversation between any of the three souls. The young Deku was preoccupied with leading the way out, Navi was filled with concerns for her charge, for the guardian of the forest, and wondering how she was ever going to be a good fairy to the boy, while Link's mind was a confused jumble of disorganized thoughts, through which shone one worry above all others: was the Great Deku Tree all right?

Then, all at once, they could see light wending its way toward them around a curve of the tunnel. The scrub turned around to face Link.

"Thank you," he said. "I go back to my people now."

And before the green-clad boy could say a single word in reply, the young leafy thing had scuttled back into the dark depths of the Deku Tree. Link really hadn't the chance to process those last words and he stared dumbly and vacantly at the spot where the scrub had slipped past him.

"I wanted to thank him, too," he muttered, seeming rather crestfallen.

His fairy was already making haste for the exit; he shook his head, as if to clear it from figurative cobwebs that clouded it as the actual ones covered his hair, and crawled after her. He brightened a little as they emerged and he glimpsed bits of pink, orange, and purple sky between the leaves and branches overhead. His heart swelled at the sight of it. Oh, how comforting that familiar green canopy was to him!

"What day is it?" he asked.

Navi turned slightly in her unceasing flight and replied, with a hint of a smile, "It's still the same day. This morning was the one in which I woke you."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure. Why, how long do you think we were in there?"

"Maybe a year? It seemed like a long time."

"It did seem a long time," she reflected seriously. "We were under such strain…"

The exit through which they came was in a little dip created when the Great Deku Tree had once slightly lifted one of his roots. It was quite obviously not the same point at which they had entered his tunnels, but Navi seemed to know right away which way they should go to return to the front of the humongous tree. Link was most grateful for this, as he only just knew which way was up. His energy was steadily dipping; he fell a few paces behind her darting flight and did not attempt to compensate for the gap. Fear was once again chilling his heart and placing a cold lump in his throat as they neared their destination.

"Thou hast done well, my child," sounded the great voice of the forest guardian.

But oh! It sounded so weak! That voice should have boomed out! Link reflected, the pit in his stomach yawning ever-wider. He tried to speak, but found that the tightness in his chest and the stoppage that seemed to be in his throat kept him from doing so. He might have fallen to the grass, so exhausted was he, yet at the moment his entire being was focused on that one being who was father to him and he stood as if he were cemented to the spot.

"Thou hast freed me from that cursed creature… and thou hast saved the life of this forest…"

Not even Navi could utter a single syllable. She fluttered near Link and saw, with growing terror, how gray streaks were creeping up the Great Deku Tree's bark. Tears pricked at her lashes and sparkled there for the second time, though fairies were known for crying but rarely.

"Link… child… Look at me…" he said, in a tone gentler than any he'd ever used before. The forest guardian lowered a branch that shook with effort and lifted the chin of the boy. "I am proud of thee, Link. Thou hast done thy job well… This is the truth I speak to thee… Dost thou understand?"

At last the built-up emotion burst from the small body with a sob. "But… Great Deku Tree! I couldn't have! I t-took t-too long to kill that th-thing and now… you're… you're d-d-dying!"

"Nay, Link. Thou didst the best thou couldst. A grown man would have trembled at the thought of such a task… and thou didst take it without complaint. No…my fate was sealed when the evil sorcerer of the desert cast this curse upon me… Thou art most courageous, Link."

"I'm not! I'm not!" he wept. "I ran from the monster at f-first, instead of f-f-fighting her! I was a-a coward!"

The Deku Tree placed the tip of his branch perpendicularly over the boy's mouth in a shushing motion. "Thou must always have courage, my dear child… Always have courage and the strength of thy sword will not fail thee… Thou wilt learn… the true meaning of courage…"

It seemed as though his words had difficulty in leaving his mouth, and the ashen streaks were reaching ever upwards. Link, too, had noticed them and it was another blow to his weeping soul. He knew he was acting like a baby in a time when he should have been thinking of more than himself, but he didn't really care.

"Great Deku Tree, please… don't die… You can get better! Maybe… a fairy can heal you!"

In a tight whisper, Navi murmured urgently into the boy's ear. "Fairies cannot remedy everything, Link. Please, listen to what the Great Deku Tree has to tell you!"

"Do not grieve for me… My spirit will live on in… I do not mind dying that my realm will live… Thou must make haste to Hyrule Castle… Seek the Princess of Destiny… Now, Link… Take this… This… for which the evil man cursed me and tried to take the life of the forest…"

And suddenly Link could not see the face of his beloved guardian because of a brilliant green light that shimmered in the air before him. From that light there seemed to be something materializing and the child instinctively held out his hands to catch it. To his astonishment, he found himself in possession of a mostly translucent stone as green as the choicest leaves of the forest, and twirling around it were strings of gold. It was quite a beautiful thing, but he really couldn't just stand there and admire it. He glanced back up at his guardian, and saw with quailing heart that the face of his father was gray and unmoving.

Only the fairy had heard the last words that the spirit guardian spoke. "Navi… Watch over him… Link…"

The boy could not—would not—believe that this was happening. "Great Deku Tree…? No…! No!" He threw himself against the skin of the tree and wept and sobbed, all the while clutching the sparkling object that he'd given him. He was not much comforted; beneath his fingers he felt the bark, which was growing colder and bore resemblance to very rough stone.

"Link," came the quiet, gentle voice of his companion. "We should leave now. It's nighttime now and we must get back."

Numbly, he rose and fixed his eyes, filled with oceans of sorrow, upon his fairy. "I do not have a father anymore. He is dead."

Then he shuffled toward the village, holding carefully onto the green and gold stone. Navi flitted after him, but she dropped behind just a little.

"I will watch over Link, I promise. I will not fail you in this, Great Deku Tree."

It seemed as though the children of the forest had sensed that something dreadful was happening and a whole group of them, led by a none-too-certain Mido, slowly approached the glade of their guardian. They had nearly reached the end of the tunnel of trees when they came across a very different Link than the one who had been causing childish havoc in the village just that morning. In the dusk light it was hard to tell, but this child was beyond worn out, he was limping and battered and could barely keep to his feet; his eyes were red and puffy, his face streaked with grime and tears, and mixed with more dirt there was blood on his leg. Upon his back was a sword which a few of the Kokiri recognized, and a scratched shield of sturdy bark.

Unfortunately, if Mido noticed any of these things, he forgot them when his gaze darted behind the other boy to the guardian spirit. From the great roots that reached into the ground to the immense canopy of leaves that tried to touch the heavens, the tree was as gray as newly-burnt ash.

"What did you do to the Great Deku Tree?!" he shouted, stalking forward aggressively. His teeth were gritted and he looked angrier than Link had ever seen him, but his face was paler than pure goat's wool.

Link was drained, both emotionally and physically, and he could not find the words to respond. He stared blankly at the worried, angry, and frightened children and the only thought in his mind was that he was a failure.

"You killed him, didn't you!" almost wailed the leader of the Kokiri, taking the lack of reply for an admission of guilt.

From the lips of the battered boy came a cry of, "No! I didn't!"

But the damage was already done. The other children looked fearfully at one another, murmured, and gazed none too kindly at Link. He could tell what they were thinking; they knew he had killed their guardian and he was more convinced than ever that he had been at fault. What he really wanted was to break down and bawl again, but he would not in front of Mido and so many hostile faces.

"How could he do it? The Great Deku Tree is always so good to us!"

"Mido was right about him after all! He's no better than one of those skull kids!"

"He's worse than Geon ever was!"

"We don't want someone like you around! Why don't you just leave, you and that fairy!"

The others moved menacingly closer and Mido was at their head. Somehow, Link didn't care if they all ganged up on him; his heart gave a little thump and he hoped that it would be quick so that he could finally have some rest. They probably would have vented their grief and rage upon the unfortunate boy, too, if not for one child who loved him above all else.

"Link! Oh, Link!" cried a voice, tremulous with emotion.

A girl with green hair darted forward, the way being parted for her because of the respect the others held for her, until she stood between the two boys who were always at opposites.

"Link, you're okay!" she exclaimed. "I was growing afraid for you when you'd been gone so long!" She had tears in her eyes and in her tone, and she put an arm around her best friend. "Mido, stop glaring like that! You know Link couldn't do anything bad to the Great Deku Tree! We don't know what happened, so don't go wildly accusing him!"

The anger of the self-proclaimed leader of the Kokiri was not so easily assuaged, but against Saria he could not fight. Rather like a dog, he backed down but his haunches were still raised.

"Hmph!" he grumbled, very sourly.

A feeling of gloom pervaded the forest and was infused in the children. Without a willing target for their anger, the first emotion dissipated and was replaced with a universal sense of grief. Some of the Kokiri remained in the clearing to mourn for their father, their fairies floating overhead with dimmed glows, while others trailed aimlessly back to the village to return to their homes and be alone with their sorrow. Mido found a hollow tree in the Lost Woods and cried therein like the baby he'd many times called Link.

Saria scrutinized her friend more closely. "Oh, Link, you've been hurt!" she gasped, and her sweet face, already mournful, took on a new look of pain.

Drawing him away from the scene, she let him lean on her arm as she led the child to the stream. He bathed himself rather mechanically and when he was quite clean again she tended to his scrapes and the injury in his leg. The girl grimaced at the horrible, purpling twin marks, and several hidden tears fell from her emerald eyes. Link just sat there, hardly making a noise as she cleaned, stitched the wounds closed, and bandaged them firmly. He kept his mouth firmly closed and his eyes upon the ground. Saria felt a strange reluctance to speak with him, to get him to talk to her; she knew that the events of the day had changed him. She realized with new sorrow that he would probably never be the same boy again. She glanced at Navi, who she knew instinctively had never left his side. At least he has someone to take care of him…

The forest girl quietly accompanied her friend to his house and pulled back the covers of his bed so that he could slide between the sheets. This he did gratefully, but before he could lay his head on the pillow and sink into unconsciousness, she threw an arm about him and hugged tightly, feeling as though she never wanted to let go.

"Oh, Link…!" she whispered.

As if a cord had broken within him, the boy suddenly burst forth in the tears that had welled up and had been denied the relief of escape. He cried and wept and sobbed against her dress harder than he ever had when assailed with the petty problems of youth; Saria held him, smoothed his back while remembering the tear in the same place in his tunic, and wept silent tears that fell upon his damp hair.

"Y-you d-don't think I killed the G-Great Deku T-Tree, do you?" he gasped at last.

For a moment he seemed like the little boy who had always come to her for comfort when he was hurt or troubled, and she knew then that he could never change so much that she wouldn't know him. Even if his path of life took him away from her, she would ever remain his faithful friend.

"I never thought it for a moment, or even half a moment," she quietly assured him. "And don't mind what Mido and the others said. They were all very upset. It's a terrible thing that happened, but it was no more your fault than mine, or Mido's… or anyone's!"

Link erupted into fresh sobs, but they were of relief mixed with his pain. Finally he cried himself out and fell to sleep while still in the girl's arms. She gently laid his head down on the bed and took one last, shivering look at the torn tunic. She did not know what had transpired, but it was obviously something dreadful to have killed their guardian and left her friend in such a state.

Navi murmured to her, "Thank you for getting him to sleep. I was afraid that he would look like that for half the night and he really needs the rest. The Great Deku Tree gave him a quest and we'll have to set out tomorrow. Poor kid… He's been through so much already…"

The Kokiri nodded sadly and took her leave. With heavy heart she retreated to her own house and therein found a little solace in embracing her grief. The branch with the wonderful abundance of leaves that had so long adorned her doorway now hung, limp and brown and quite dead, like a skeleton hand.

~O~

That same night, outside the forest, across many plains, and within a marvelous stone edifice, a young girl tossed upon silken sheets and suddenly flew up, her eyes still filled with night terrors and a cry upon her lips. Within moments, a silver-haired attendant was by her side and her touch brought the girl from nightmare to reality.

"Impa! I dreamed it again! That man is here—I can feel it!" she exclaimed with a shiver. Though the dream was past and she was aware of herself again, it still had her in its fearful grip. "I am afraid of that evil man!" She pressed her face into her nanny's side.

"Was there anything else in your dream, my princess?" the woman inquired in low, even tones.

The young girl pulled back her head, took a deep, shaky breath and recalled her vision. "Yes, there was a boy coming toward me from the forest; he was holding something green tightly in his hand and he had a fairy with him. He must be important!" Her pale blue eyes seemed to glow with growing excitement and she jiggled a little bit on the bed. "Does this mean we need to search for him?!"

"No, I believe instead that fate is bringing him here. We shall have to wait and see, princess. Time will soon tell us what she has in store."

The princess yawned in spite of herself and said with a little pout. "Oh, but I want to go out and look for him. It would be such an adventure! I never get to go anywhere!"

"And your father would not approve. Regardless, we will talk about it more in the morning. For now, sleep, my princess, sleep."

The girl yawned copiously again and snuggled drowsily beneath the covers while her attendant hummed a lullaby.

~O~

Link's night was fairly restful, and though he had a dream similar to the one he'd had before, it did not long hold him in its grip. He awoke earlier than he was accustomed and for a few minutes he lay in the bit of dawn's half-light that came to him from the window. He felt a mite peculiar and it wasn't long before he was sick over the wooden pail he kept in his home.

When he was finished, he groaned, grimaced, and wiped his mouth. He sagged wearily against the bed, his hand going to his thigh and the bit of bandage Saria had placed on it. The wound did not throb so angrily now, but it still felt quite tender. His whole body seemed to be sore from the unaccustomed activities he'd performed the day before. Every movement made him ache, but his heart bore a wound deeper than any other.

The child glanced up at his fairy. "It wasn't a dream, was it? The Great Deku Tree is really… gone, isn't he?"

"Yes, Link," she replied, whisperingly.

He seemed to accept it without further ado, but the hauntingly sad look in his eyes gave a window to his grief. He reached over, picked up his tunic, and was about to pull it over his head when he noted with surprise that it was quite whole again. He turned it over and checked the back; sure enough, the marks of the claw were so neatly mended that he couldn't see a single imperfection in the weave.

"Did you fix this?" he questioned, looking up to his fairy, his tired eyes as wide as buttons.

"Uh-huh. You can't go seeing a princess with a torn tunic, now can you?" she said, trying to put on a smile.

"How did you do it so perfectly?"

"Fairies can do a lot of things, Link. One of them is to repair clothes as if they'd never been torn."

"O-Oh! Well, thanks, Navi."

After dressing and pulling on boots that his companion had also cleaned, the boy cast glances about his home. The only two things he really cared about were his marvelous stag and the pot of humming mushrooms, the latter of which was much too impractical to carry with him on a journey. The little clay figure, he decided, would not be much harmed if he took it with him; he made sure that his sword and Deku Tree shield were firmly strapped to his back, grabbed the stag, and headed for the door with an empty feeling pervading his stomach and his heart. He was leaving behind everything he knew to travel to the outside world. It was something he had always dreaming of doing but now that the time had come he thought it was horrible. Oh, how he was going to miss Saria!

"Wait, Link! Don't you think it would be a good idea to take some food along?"

He glanced at his companion. "I'm not hungry."

"Not now, but you will be later. You'd better take some food for when you do get hungry. Remember yesterday when we were…"

Link knew why she had cut herself off, but it really didn't matter because he knew what she meant and it didn't hurt any less than if she had said the name of the spirit guardian. He frowned slightly, took a few apples from the table and stuffed them into his pockets. They were bulging by the time he was finished and he looked to his companion for satisfaction.

"There. That'll be enough, right Navi?"

"Well, I don't know… Link!"

He was already out the door and climbing stiffly down the ladder. The fairy caught up to him in a trice, but she had decided that experience would teach a better lesson than she could hope to impress upon him in a few minutes. The boy crept from the village on silent feet and complaining muscles, and while his heart ached, he knew it was better that he left now, before the other children woke up and would see him. Having them look accusingly at him and murmuring to each other how he must have killed the Great Deku Tree would be his undoing.

As he walked, Link found himself marveling over how the forest was so quiet at that time in the morning and somehow the stillness calmed his anguished mind just a bit. The air was cool and crisp and sweet, the dainty breeze that slipped by hardly made a sound as it tickled the leaves and caressed his bruised face, and when he glanced skyward he could see the promise of the sun. What a beautiful, wonderful world it was—a beautiful world in which terrible things happened!

He was well outside the village when he suddenly realized something and stopped. "Which way do we go?"

Before Navi could make reply, another voice made itself known. "I know the way."


	6. The Wide Green Fields of Hyrule

The boy turned abruptly and saw the green-haired girl standing by a huge tree. She wore such a sad expression, which caused Link to wonder remorsefully if she had been like that the night before and he just hadn't noticed it. He would have moved closer except that he felt suddenly ashamed, like she had caught him running away from some problem like a coward.

"I… I saw you leaving," she said, very quietly. "Somehow I always knew you'd leave the forest one day, Link."

"You d-did?" gulped the green-clad child, as he remembered how he had begged the Great Deku Tree to tell him of the outside world and secretly dreamt of going there himself.

"Uhm-hum." Saria nodded and drew closer to him. "You are different from everyone else, Link. You're brave and adventurous and you want to explore. I don't think the goddesses would have made you like that and expect you to stay here."

"You don't think I'm running away?"

"Running away?!" the girl cried with a concerned frown. "Whatever gave you that idea?!"

Link didn't reply; he only kicked a tuft of grass with his boot and could not lift his gaze to his friend.

Navi broke the silence with her silvery voice. "He's been like this ever since the Great Deku Tree passed away yesterday…"

The forest girl took his roughened hand in both of hers. "Link, there is something going on. I can feel it in my soul. The Great Deku Tree gave you a mission, didn't he? How could you be running away if you're doing what he told you?!"

The boy jerked up his head and met her eye. He realized how very silly he had been; the color of embarrassment came into his cheeks and he mumbled, "Oh."

"So don't worry about it anymore, okay?" she pleaded, with a final squeeze of his hand. "Oh, and I brought you a pack of food." She stooped to pick up a satchel, filled to bulging with all sorts of nameless edibles that she'd stuffed within, and handed it to him.

It was just like Saria, he mused, to think of everything. She really was the best friend anyone in the world could hope for! The gesture brought something like a smile back to his face as he took the bundle from her and slung it over his shoulder.

"Do you mind if I walk with you for a while? I know the best way to get to the forest's edge."

Link shook his head vigorously, nodded, and then shook his head again, as he couldn't decide which one fit her question. Sheepishly, he replied, "I'd love you to walk with me."

She linked arms with him, noting gladly to herself that his clothes were mended and that his limp was slight. She was sure she did not wish to know the nature of the beast that had so marred the boy and killed the guardian of the forest.

"Um, Link? Did… Did the Great Deku Tree tell you anything before he… he…" She just couldn't bear to say the painful word.

His mouth turned downward a bit and his eyes seemed to cloud over as he recalled the events of the day before. "He told me I had to be brave, and I would learn the meaning of courage someday. He s-said… H-he s-said I'd done well…"

Several pearls of tears slipped from his eyes and down his nose. Saria gripped his hand tighter; had he looked over at her he would have seen evidence of her grief, too.

After a few moments, the boy tried to compose himself and continued, "He said h-he didn't mind dying be-because the forest would l-live o-on, and h-his spirit w-would always be w-with us."

At that, the girl by his side gave a gasp and sniffle. With alarm, Link rapidly turned his gaze to her; saw the tears that ran profusely down her face and the slight shaking of her shoulders. He returned a squeeze as firm as that which she employed.

"Oh, Great Deku Tree… He l-loves us so m-much, Link! He c-could have saved his own life, but that would have taken so much energy from everything else in the forest. The trees and everything else would have very sick and most would probably have died; it would have been very hard on us and everything else that lives here. B-But he d-didn't do that!"

She sobbed quietly as they walked; Link felt miserable, cried, sniffled and clutched at her hand. "Will y-you be all right h-here, Saria?" he queried, worried that some other misfortune would befall her and the others.

"O-Of course," she replied with another little gasp. "We'll be just fine. Y-you k-know, in a w-way, the Great D-Deku Tree is still with us. The l-life the flowed through his veins is still in this forest, keeping it as green and wonderful as it always has been. Don't you worry about us, Link. Just keep s-safe on your journey, okay?"

"I… I will."

The two children continued through the forest without cease and with periods of silence, holding hands to ease each other's grief, so tightly betimes that the knuckles of his right hand and her left hand were quite white. Gradually, in turning the events of the previous day around in his mind, the boy's sorrow faded somewhat and anger took its place. In particular, he recalled with clarity how a certain Kokiri had been so quick to accuse him, the memory of which rankled in his stormy little soul.

"He shouldn't have said that!" he muttered to himself.

"What? Did you say something, Link?" questioned his girlish companion.

It was as if he hadn't heard her, for he continued making faces and moving his mouth with the utterance of things that only he knew. Saria all but jumped when he suddenly cried out in a burst of passion, "He had no right to say what he did! I… I hate him!" Without realizing it, he clenched both his free hand and the one that his best friend held.

"Do you mean… Mido?"

"He thought I… What he thought… He's such a meanie!"

"Mido was very upset yesterday—everyone was upset—and I'm sure they didn't mean the things they said to you." she reasoned.

But the boy was insistent and was himself very upset and irate. "They did! They looked so hatefully at me, especially that Mido!"

Saria sighed. "Link, I don't want you to leave thinking bad things about him, so I'm going to tell you about him. You know, he wasn't always like he is now. He used to be a good friend to all of us and he really was the leader in many of our activities. More than that, he was great friends with Geon."

Link stuck out his lower lip and gave the distinct impression that he did not have the slightest interest in the past of his nemesis, but he did not interrupt her and in spite of his misgivings, he gave ear to her tale.

"Mido and Geon were very friendly rivals and a perfect pair in leading our village to the heights of productivity. To them, life seemed to be a sort of contest to prove to each other who was the better leader, which was silly because the strengths of one fitted right in with the weaknesses of the other. Under their supervision, we knew much toil in our gardens, with bountiful harvests, and the most elaborate celebrations. The woods had never been so kind to us in the fruits they gave us, in the lush grasses and shrubs that they provided for the goats to eat, and in the very beauty we were surrounded with every day. There was no place within the forest that we could not venture and many of us explored and had picnics and little expeditions. The Great Deku Tree smiled down upon us and told us many stories; everything ran smoothly and everyone was very happy.

"But everything changed when Geon was corrupted by that evil power. I still do not know how he came across it, but when he walked into the village that day—we'd been playing hide and seek in the woods and couldn't find him, you see—he was changed. At first he stayed in his house and would not come out to play or work or eat. When he did come out, we almost didn't recognize him. His eyes were not the laughing, merry ones of the Geon we knew and loved, but of a stranger who had somehow found his way into our midst. We did not realize what was happening as Geon talked to the Kokiri, one by one, and whispered to them of power and supremacy, slowly calling many of them to his side. It was hard on all of us but especially Mido, who was confused and angry that his friend had deserted him and hardly spoke to him. He gave in to his inclinations to be surly and Geon's good-natured levity was not there to balance it out.

"The Great Deku Tree knew that something was terribly amiss; he gave warning to the fairies and tried to shield us from the evil. His summons for Geon went unanswered; for the first time, one of the Kokiri was disobedient to our father. Not long after this, Geon surprised Mido by inviting him to go on a hike through the part of the woods that is now cursed. Mido never would tell me what happened that day, but when he returned his face was so white that I was afraid he would either faint or explode with anger. He did neither, but he was surlier than I'd ever seen him and he would not speak a word. Geon did not come back to his home that night and before morning came, over half the Kokiri had sneaked away to the woods to join him. Fado, who had always had a little girl crush on him, wanted desperately to follow too, but Mido so sharply forbade her from so doing that she cried and screamed that she'd find a way and shut herself in her house."

"Things were very unpleasant for us after that. The disobedient Kokiri surprised us by coming into the village at night and causing damage. At first they just stole food and destroyed everything within sight, but it steadily grew worse with fires and ambushes of some Kokiri who had remained loyal. The Great Deku Tree put up barriers, through which Geon and the others found some way of getting past, and he gave Mido the sword that you now carry. Mido had the huge task of protecting his remaining friends from those traitors and keeping his sister from running away. Geon stayed deep in the woods where no one but his followers saw him anymore."

Link was listening quite intently by now, for he had never heard the story in such detail. He surprised himself with actually feeling sorry for the boy who had always picked on him and called him names. Pricking at the back of his mind was the memory of his combing out Saria's green locks when he was younger and wondering at something he saw on her scalp.

"Does this have anything to do with that scar on your head?" he interrupted.

"Oh, that. Yes, I suppose I'll have to tell you that, too. I felt very useless because I couldn't do anything to help protect our village. It was very foolish of me, but I ventured into the woods where Geon and his followers were camped, determined to talk him out of the bad things he was doing. I was very afraid when some Kokiri captured me with weapons in their hands and such fearsome looks in their eyes, but I was much relieved when they took me to Geon. I talked to him, pleaded with him, and cried, but none of it seemed to move him in the least; instead, he waved the others aside, sidled up to me and asked me if I would join him. Ugh!" The girl shivered mightily at the recollection. "I told him I'd never disobey the Great Deku Tree and he got very angry and hit me with a rock or something. When I woke up I was tied to a tree and the wicked Kokiri were standing around trying to decide what to do with me. I was sure they were going to kill me when Mido, who learned where I'd gone, came along and somehow rescued me. My memory is really fuzzy at that point and I don't know just how he did it, but before long he had me safely back at my home. He was really wonderful and brave to come all that way into dangerous territory just to help me.

"It was such a terrible time and though it seemed so much longer, the hostilities lasted for little more than a month. The Great Deku Tree had given the disobedient Kokiri all possible chances to reform from their sins, but they would not listen. He told us sorrowfully that there was no alternative for peace but to curse that section of forest and erase the memories of the children therein. Mido went very pale when he heard that, and he raced away to check on Fado, whom he had forgotten when he was helping me. She was gone, but he knew where she was. The Great Deku Tree gave him just a little time to find her before he would curse the woods and so Mido was most desperate to get her out before that happened. A while later he returned, with a bloody leg and sword, but he had Fado's arm in a firm grip. As soon as they were safely out, The Great Deku Tree pronounced the curse and that area became the Lost Woods."

Link gulped, as he couldn't help but do whenever he heard the story. "Was he okay?"

"Oh, yes, Mido's wounds weren't serious and they healed just fine, but he's never been the same. As for Fado, she has been strange ever since then. I know Mido worries about her. She sometimes sneaks into the woods to seek the skull kid who used to be Geon. Have you ever wondered about that necklace of hers? It is the same as the wooden rings the skull kids like to wear."

Recalling the painful memories, though they were far past, was a bit hard on Saria, but gladly did she do it so that her young companion could have a better picture of Mido. The boy at her side was deep in thought over all he'd heard. He couldn't have pretended that he no longer resented the unkind treatment he'd received over the years, but he was beginning to feel the slightest bit of kinship with the Kokiri he thought he would always hate.

They had been walking for more than an hour; the woods had since awakened with the sounds of birdsong, breezes and insects. The sun was kissing the trees and dappling the forest floor, and the flowers lifted their dewy heads to meet its benevolence. The beauty of the early morning had a calming effect upon both children and Link also called to mind what Navi had told him about fairies spinning such loveliness.

As they came upon a bit of a stream, bridged by a very massive, very old tree covered with moss and flowers, Saria stopped. "This is where I must leave you, Link," she said, bravely keeping the hint of tears from her voice but not from her eyes.

He turned to face her, his thoughts torn from their wanderings and musings, and he didn't know what to say. He stood there with mouth hanging slightly open and actually looking lost. Was he really going to leave the forest and everything he knew? He both quailed and felt strangely exalted at the promise of adventure.

The girl hugged her friend fiercely and firmly; when she pulled back she looked him in the eye. "You be careful out there, Link. I expect to see you back in the forest one day."

"I will," he said, again.

"Before you go, though, I want you to have this."

In both hands she held out to him a familiar pale, brownish-pink object. "I can't take that!" Link exclaimed. "How will you play your songs if I take it?!"

"I want you to have it," was her gentle rejoinder. "On your travels you can take it out and think of me and the forest. Why, you'll probably learn to play it better than I ever could!"

She thrust the ocarina into the boy's hands. He took it gently, gazed at it fondly for a couple of seconds and then held it close to his heart. "Th-Thank you… I… I won't ever forget about you, Saria! And… I want you to have this!"

He, in turn, placed his little package in her hands, which she quickly unwrapped to reveal his clay hart.

"Oh, Link! Thank you! I will treasure it forever!"

His heart felt too full with her kindness, grief, and the pain and uncertainty of leaving that he finally could bear it no longer. With another gulp, he turned and dashed across the tree trunk, followed as closely as ever by his little guardian fairy.

"Goodbye, Link…" the forest girl whispered.

~O~

The little hero ran until his body screamed for him to cease; he wasn't sure if it was his lungs or his leg that gave him the most complaint as he stumbled to a stop and nearly bent double while trying to catch his breath. Gasping hard, he looked about and realized for the first time that that his surroundings had changed. The trees that he had always known to be so thick around him were greatly thinned and instead of the abundance of ferns, bushes, and other like foliage that prospered in woods, growing all around him was knee-tall, greenish-golden grass that stretched as far as he could see. In fact, his horizons were a mite limited due to a sizable hillock that rose before him.

"We're not in the forest anymore, are we?" he asked, both afraid and excited all at once.

"You've left it behind you now. Before you is Hyrule and the mission for which you are destined."

For several moments the boy stared about him with interest that he would not have thought possible earlier that morning. There was so much open space! The wind that ruffled his hair was wilder and of a different sort than the one that danced leisurely through the village; it carried the lively scent of clover, grass, and wildflowers. It seemed to be whispering little promises to him, things that he wasn't sure would happen, but so enthralled was he that he didn't care. Immediately, he had the very strong desire to find out what lay beyond the little hill. He began trotting forward and nearly keeled over in shock when a great bird with a long tail flew screamingly up from the tall green-gold blades.

"Ahhh!" he cried, and mentally gave himself a kick for sounding so shrill and like a baby. He staggered back, barely managed to keep from falling backward, and placed a trembling hand over his furiously beating heart. "W-What was that?"

"Ooh, that gave me a start, too!" Navi admitted, smiling a bit. "It's a pheasant, Link. They commonly live in fields like this and make their nests on the ground. You must have frightened it as much as it startled you!"

"A nest, huh? Is there one nearby? Do you think I could take a look at it?"

"Well, the mama bird would be really scared so we had better keep our distance."

"Oh," said Link with crestfallen face.

He didn't let that stop him, though. He'd almost forgotten that his desire was to find out what lay beyond that hill and he began once again to hike up it, holding the hope that he might just accidentally stumble across one of those pheasant bird's nests. All thoughts of nests and birds, the forest and troubles were thoroughly, if temporarily removed from his thought processes, however, when he arrived at the crest of the rise.

Bursting from his lips was a little exclamation of, "Oohhhhhhhh!"

Stretching for miles before him was a great expanse much filled with grass like that in which he stood, punctuated with heaps of rocks, a few thickets of bushes and little trees here and there, and scattered with signs and sounds of animal life; all of that which he saw dipped and rose according to the will of the land. Far away was an intriguing, reddish-brown line of something that his fairy told him were mountains.

"Is this… Is this the world, Navi?" he said very quietly, more from a sense of awe than anything else.

She made a gesture wider than it seemed she could make with her miniscule arms. "It is a part of it. This is Hyrule, Link."

A great joy welled up and overflowed within the boy as he gazed upon every marvelous thing. Finally, he could contain it no longer and he took off, down the one tiny hill and up another. There was so much open space, so much freedom, so much sunshine, and it was all so big and beautiful! He ran and ran with exuberance until he collapsed on another rise, closed his eyes and grinned up at the sky.

Sobering a bit, he turned on his side and fixed troubled eyes on his companion. "Do you think the Great Deku Tree would like to see me so happy after he died? Am I…" He searched for the word he'd heard Mido use before. "…Am I disgracing his memory?"

"He wouldn't want to see you sad all the time, would he?" Navi reflected wisely. "I am sure that if he could see you, he would be very glad to see you in such good spirits!"

"Oh," he said very quietly. "Oh…"

He turned his face back to the sky and stretched out his arms luxuriously, immediately after which his stomach grumbled mightily. Flying up, he reached for the pack that Saria had given to him, which he had laid carefully beside him before throwing himself on the ground. He stuck a hand into it and pulled out the first thing that came to his fingers, a very orange, very long carrot. As he chomped off big bites, he dug further in the bag. He found a goat's hide flask filled with sweet milk, a wooden container of his favorite berries, a hunk of bread, and a number of fruits and vegetables.

Link spent several minutes of delight in taking a bite first from one thing and then another. He would discover later that it was not a wise idea when he was left with a partially eaten, browning apples and pears, and bread that would be dry and hard on the outside because he'd pulled off all the crust. For the time being, he happily stuffed his face and polished everything off with a long gulp of milk. He rubbed his full tummy and burped.

"Ha, ha!" the boy chuckled. "That was so good!"

"I'm glad to hear it, Link. Are you ready to go now?"

"Yup!" he said, while throwing everything back into the satchel and throwing it over his shoulder. "Which way do we go, Navi?"

"I think… this way!"

She indicated a direction more or less to the northwest and Link immediately began sprinting at the point of her finger; both his bag and shield made a bumpy rhythm against his back, but he paid no heed. He breathed in air that seemed alive with energy and felt like he could run forever. Well, until he caught his foot on an obstruction that devilishly hid itself in the grass, sending him sprawling.

"Um, Link? I think it would be better to take it at a slower pace. You don't want to wear yourself out when your journey has only fairly begun."

The boy picked himself up and rubbed a skinned elbow. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's so nice here that I couldn't help but run!"

"I know; it is very beautiful, isn't it?" The fairy smiled a bit as her charge started off again with less reckless steps. "This is only a small part of Hyrule. You'll see much more of it as we travel."

"Have you been everywhere, Navi?"

She dipped her head a bit. "Well, no. I have been to many places in Hyrule, but I haven't seen everything."

"I bet you've seen the things the Great Deku Tree told me about! What is it like?"

The fairy pondered this and wondered where she could begin describing such an immense subject. "Take the mountains for instance, like the ones you can barely see over there. Some of them are green and covered with trees, while others are barren except for the little growth that finds its way into cracks and crevices. The closer you get to the mountains the more they tower over you, and when you are right next to them they are so tall that they can block out the sun. Your first view of sunrise over the mountain is one you'll never forget. First there gets to be a glow in the sky over the ridge, which slowly grows brighter and brighter. The clouds turn pink and orange and purple and just seem to float lazily over the mountaintop. Then you start to see sunlight far off, beyond the shadow of the mountain; that line of golden warmth gradually creeps nearer and nearer until it finally finds you and says, 'Hello. I am here.'"

"Wow…" Link breathed. "That sounds so nice! Are we going to a mountain so I can see it?"

"Well, you remember what the Great Deku Tree told us? He said we have to go to the castle to find the princess. The mountains aren't on the path we shall take, though Death Mountain is some distance from the city. You will at least be able to see it even though we won't be quite so near it."

"Okay." He walked a dozen or so steps before he opened his mouth again. "Um, Navi, what's a princess?"

"Oh, my. A princess? So do you know what a king is?"

"Is he like the Great Deku Tree?"

"In a way. The Great Deku Tree is the guardian of the forest; he looks after and governs everything within. It is the king's task to look after all of Hyrule."

"Even the forest?"

"Even the forest. The king makes laws—hopefully good ones if he is a good king—and he ensures that his subjects follow them. Now, a princess is the daughter of a king. Princesses can also be daughters of other important men, like dukes and princes and whatnot, but we'll just keep it simple for now."

"What do think she'll be like? Will she be nice and friendly like Saria, or will she be sneaky like Fado?"

The guardian fairy chuckled and put her hand over her mouth. "I don't know what she's like, Link. We'll find out when we meet her at the castle."

He seemed a bit disappointed that he wasn't to find out yet, but it didn't bother him for too long. As he trooped along other thoughts flitted through his mind.

"Navi," he murmured between breaths. "I… I still don't like Mido. I know Saria told me about what happened to him… but I keep remembering how mean he was to me. It wasn't right! I never did anything to him!"

The tiny being who flew near his head put her hand on his ear and gathered her words carefully. "Link, sometimes when a person's is injured on the inside he puts up a tough armor to keep himself from getting hurt again. That is a problem because the protection also keeps much of the love that might be shown to him. If he doesn't feel loved he will likely turn his ill will to the ones around him. Other people don't like to be treated like that and pretty much everyone would react much like you have. It takes some insight to see that getting back at him is not the answer. I know it is difficult for you, but try to think of who he is behind all the teasing. Deep down he is a boy much like yourself, but he has shut himself off from his friends. Perhaps you will be able to forgive him one day."

Link frowned with skepticism.

"Don't worry too much about that for now. Just think about what I said, okay?"

"Are you sure about that? He looked at me like he thought I was the one who had cursed the Great Deku Tree," he mumbled, with a frown and a falling tear.

"I am sure about that. You know, it was like Saria told you before. Everyone was really upset yesterday, including you. When bad things happen people, and especially children, don't always react kindly. It a big wound and you have to give them time to adjust."

He appeared to digest the words carefully. "Navi, I was wondering…"

"Yes, Link?"

"Um… well… there were a couple of times that… that everyone seemed to look at you strangely. Do the others know you somehow?"

His companion was so silent that he briefly turned his head toward her. Though she continued flying near his head, her eyes were downcast and her features were a whole volume that the boy could not decipher.

"I… That's… I… I really do not want to talk about it," she said at last. Her words were so quietly and forcibly uttered that he didn't dare inquire further.

Link's trek took him over the rolling hills that bore the brunt of much sun. The wild grass eventually thinned out and was considerably shorter, the other vegetation was drier but still somewhat green, and he hadn't seen a tree since shortly after his emergence from the forest. Any animals that inadvertently crossed his path scampered away just as quickly. At one point, the boy raised his eyes and noted that beneath the lacy clouds glided a great bird, which his fairy told him was a hawk. Before the boy was nothing but the broad expanse of land, stretching eternally on; over every hill he was expecting to see something, but was always disappointed with the lack of changes to the countryside.

Perspiration tricked down the little hero's brow; he felt hot and sticky all over, even more than when he'd worked hard at helping Saria with the harvest or when he'd been playing a very exciting game with the other Kokiri. The gash on his leg reminded him of its presence with a continual, dull ache that occasionally gave him twinges and made him limp a bit. He had since consumed the last drop of milk in the flask and his drying throat yearned for more. He licked his lips almost continually and with glances at the sky he wished that a cloud would cover the sun and bring him a little relief.

"I am so thirsty," he rasped, casting a sideways, hopeful look at his fairy.

"It is pretty hot out here, isn't it? I'm sorry, Link. I should have thought of taking more water along."

"Can't you find some like you made the mushrooms grow?"

"No. My magic is limited to making little plants and even seeds grow in a very short time. I cannot make water where there is none to be found." She noticed the near desperate look in his eyes and added, "I think there is a stream somewhere along here. If we keep going we should reach it pretty soon."

He trudged onward without expending a word; increasingly his mouth felt like it was lined with fabric that leeched moisture from him. He could not help but think of the shallow beds and deep pools of the tributary in his village and the delightful sound it made as it laughed over the rocks as if being tickled.

"Do you hear that?" Navi exclaimed, pressing against the side of Link's neck.

"What? I don't hear anything."

"It's the stream. I know it is!"

The mere mention of such electrified him as nothing else could. The boy hastened forward and before long he too could hear the giggles of the bit of loving water that meandered its careless way across the countryside. Then he saw something glistening in a little gully bedded with rocks and lined sparsely with trees; he rushed for it, threw himself on the bank and all but immersed his head in the pure waters. He gulped and gulped, finally able to assuage his thirst.

"Link, don't drink too much! You'll make yourself ill. Take it slowly."

"Oh, but it's so good!" Wearing a broad grin, he splashed water onto himself and more or less inadvertently on his companion.

"Hey!" cried a surprised Navi.

"Hehehe! It feels so nice, doesn't it?" he exclaimed, water dripping from his hair and hat.

Striking the water again, he bespattered her once more, to which she responded by flitting from range. She shook her wings, sending off sparkles of fairy dust.

Gazing upon the boy with an almost pouting expression, she said, "It's really not fair that you splash me. You have much bigger hands than I do."

Link giggled, grinned, and leaned down to take another drink; as soon and he lifted his head he found himself with a face full of water. Spluttering and endeavoring to clear his eyes, he glimpsed his fairy hovering over the surface of the stream with a playful little smirk gracing her pink lips.

"You tricked me!"

"That's what happens when you splash someone. That someone is going to want to splash you back!"

The boy set his jaw as if with ire, though Navi could tell that his eyes were jumping with glee; he set both hands against the water and sent a veritable shower in her direction. She darted out of the way and, using her magic to shield herself, dove into the stream to retaliate.

Several minutes passed with much spraying going on between them. Finally Link collapsed laughingly on his side, coughing on water that he'd swallowed incorrectly. "Haha… You're good at that!" he gasped, between something that was half cough, half chuckle.

"Well, we really should get going now, Link," she replied, shaking her wings once more. "You should fill your flask first, though."

He nodded and moved up the bank to the spot where he'd let his knapsack fall. Returning, he dipped the bottle into the stream and the air bubbled out as the coolness slipped inwards.

"Link, look at that over there."

In jerking his attention elsewhere he almost lost hold of the container. "What?"

The fairy flew across the tributary and fluttered over something that was stuck in the rocks at the other side. "Why, it's a little boat," she called to him.

Leaving the flask on the shore, Link followed her by beginning to wade across, but he fell into a deep part and came up spluttering; fortunately for him, he was no stranger to swimming in a body of water that liked to play tricks on people. Once on the opposite bank, he sloshed over to the item and picked it up with inquisitive hands. The little toy was hardly more than a piece of driftwood shaped remarkably like a boat, bearing a few marks of a carving attempt, and with a little stick thrust through it, to which clung the shreds of some homespun cloth.

"Where did it come from?" the boy questioned as he tested the worthiness of the little vessel.

"There must be a village somewhere upstream. Since it is more or less the direction we're taking, let us follow the stream until we find the settlement. Maybe someone there can give us better directions to the castle or we might even find a faster way of transportation. Come on, Link! Gather your things and let's get going."

"Okay," he replied.

Still holding the simple toy, the boy found a shallower way across, picked up his boots that he had discarded on the shore, and tucked the flask and boat into his pack.

"Aren't you going to wear your boots?"

He shook his head adamantly; he wanted his feet to be free as there were some blisters that had formed on heel and toes. The child began hiking upstream but after a while he found that treading barefoot over the many rocks that peppered the banks was worse than having those sore extremities imprisoned in the boots. He sat upon a very low, bent branch of a tree and gingerly slipped them on again.

Traveling next to the creek was much more enjoyable that his earlier hot trek had been. The water seemed to cool the very air around him and there were no worries about thirst. The sun had long since reached its zenith and was making its retiring descent from the sky. Link trotted along at a fair pace and tried to think of something else besides his aching feet. He was very curious about the reticent response his companion had given him earlier and he wondered how he could get her to talk about it. Saria would probably know the answer, but of course he couldn't ask her. Thoughts of his best friend sobered him and sent the memories of her goodbye swirling through his brain. When he reached into his pack for something to nibble on, his hand brushed against the instrument the girl had given him.

Instead of food, he withdrew the ocarina and set his gaze upon it fondly. He'd long admired the melodious tunes that Saria willed from its little holes and wondered if he could learn to do the same. He had often observed the way she put it to her lips and placed her fingers over the holes; he tried to replicate her motions but the sound that came out sounded like a squawk. He had to laugh at himself and then tried again.

Link was still trying to get the hang of the instrument and getting frustrated with his attempts, when the stream was suddenly hidden by what he discovered was a bridge. He glanced up and realized that he'd practically walked into the hamlet without seeing it.

"Navi! We made it!" he exclaimed happily.

"Indeed. You've done well, Link! Now we must find the mayor of this village and inquire about transportation. That big house over there looks like a good place to start."

She indicated a building partially obscured by some smaller huts; the one she meant possessed a thatched roof that seemed of gigantic proportions to the child. He tucked the ocarina safely in his satchel once more and trudged forward, both his feet and the wound in his thigh protesting.

Several yards away was a group of children playing some kind of game with a leather ball in the dust behind one of the houses. As Link approached a mite hesitantly, most of the youngsters ceased their sport and stared unabashedly at the newcomer, or more importantly, at the fairy who flew so near to him that she dusted his hair with magical sparkles. The little hero suddenly found himself as shy as a newborn Deku and quite unable to form a sentence that didn't sound addlepated.

"Who are you?" one small voice piped up.

"Where did you come from?"

One girl, who seemed to be a year or so older than Link, put one foot in front of the other, smiled tentatively, and said, "My name is Sarelle. What's yours?" Her head was covered in a mass of dark waves that were frightfully tangled, she wore a faded brown dress, and her feet were bare.

Navi nudged his ear and he finally freed his tongue. "Mine is Link." He added, without the intent of flattery, "I like yours. It's like my friend's name."

"Hi, Link!" the girl declared, grinning ear to ear.

Several echoes followed from the lips of the other children and they gave him their names, such as Herb, Winn, Botho, Petra, and Erise. It seemed as though Sarelle was the oldest and therefore the leader of the small raggle taggle group of young ones.

The green-clad child felt warmed by the welcome. "What is this place called?" he inquired.

"This is Faron Village!" proclaimed Tera, a sun-burned, fair-haired girl of seven.

"So, where do you come from, Link?" the eldest child questioned. "We don't see anyone coming up the creek like you just did."

"I came from the forest," he replied, quickly finding his confidence again because the children seemed to accept him without contest. "This is my fairy, Navi. We're going to the castle."

"You live in the forest?!"

"Why is she your fairy?"

"The castle? Wow!"

"That's a long way away," the oldest girl told him.

"We were hoping we could find some faster transportation to get there." Navi's first utterance caused the children to gape further and to gather closer around boy and fairy to garner a better gander at her.

Sarelle informed him, "My mother would know about that. She takes care of everything since Daddy went away. I'll take you to her." She pushed aside one boy who stood in her way and tapped the shoulder of another. "Come on, you fellows! Get out of the way!"

She took Link's hand and pulled him through a couple of hard-packed dirt streets until they reached a building that housed their livestock. Several tall people were conversing rapidly and hurriedly.

"Are those adults?" the green-clad child whispered to his tiny companion. The village girl heard his undertone and wondered exceedingly what sort of boy he was that he didn't know what an adult was.

"Yes, Link," Navi murmured into his ear. "They are men and women, just as I told you. Just grown up boys and girls, you see?"

It seemed as though all the villagers wore the same type of coarse cloth but of varying shades depending on how they dyed it. The men wore rough tunics belted at the waist, jerkins, hose, and a number of different hats that seemed more or less to betoken their trades. The woman who oversaw everything that went on and gave precise directions to everyone who came up to her was also clothed very simply in an unadorned dress, long apron, and thin shoes; her head was mostly covered by a strip of cloth but the little hair Link glimpsed underneath was just as wavy but lighter than that of the girl who pulled him closer.

Sarelle caught her mother's eye, but it was a full minute before the woman could separate herself from the people around her and turn her attention to her daughter. "Hello, dear. Did you feed the cuccos as I asked you to?"

The girl assumed a very guilty look.

"It is very important that we take care of them, as I always tell you. It is because of the cuccos that we have eggs."

"I-I know, Mama. I'm sorry," she replied, averting her eyes by glaring grumpily at one of the men servicing a wagon.

"You need to march off and do that, but first, who is your friend? I don't believe I've seen this little fellow before."

"Yes, Mama." She looked rather disgruntled as she turned to her new companion. "This is Link. He just arrived and he's going to the castle."

"To the castle? My, my, that is a long trip for a young boy such as yourself, Link. Where are your parents?"

"My… parents?" repeated the boy, confusedly.

"Yes. Your mother and father. Where are they?"

Finally he understood; Link shifted his sore, booted foot in the dust and looked at it. "My father is dead."

Suddenly he found Sarelle grasping his hand tightly; when he lifted his head he glimpsed tears in her eyes. She gave a little gasp, trying to keep back a sob that caught in her throat.

The woman's face softened considerably and she leaned down a little further. "You poor child! It seems unfortunate things are happening all around… My husband, the mayor of this little town, died two weeks ago. We've all been hard-pressed to go on without him." The sorrow written across her work-hardened features matched that of her daughter as she put her hand upon the boy's shoulder and asked gently, "What about your mother?"

"I… don't have a mother. Navi is my guardian fairy and she looks after me."

"Then welcome, Navi the fairy, and Link, to our humble village of Faron. Everyone calls me Missus Bordan after my husband, and you may do the same. We are very busy readying the wagons to go to Castle Town at first light tomorrow morning."

"Why, that's perfect, Missus Bordan!" the tiny being cried, floating higher over the head of her charge. "We were hoping we might be able to find transportation to Castle Town. Would there be room for Link in the caravan?"

"I don't see why not. I will arrange it with the drivers and make sure there will be a place for you. I must go now. There are many things to get done and here it will be dark soon." She started to turn away, but then she faced her daughter again. "Sarelle, go feed the cuccos now and take Link along. The two of you can do that and pull the pigweeds from the garden. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mama," said the scowling girl.

The widow hurried away with one last meaningful look at her daughter. Meanwhile, a still frowning Sarelle stomped off to the fenced-off area in which they kept the cuccos and showed Link how to scatter the seed. He was thinking what strange creatures they were and was convinced that they were giving him the stink eye. The girl all but threw the feed at the white, brown, gray, and red hued animals; when they had finished with that job they moved to the garden and she began to show the newcomer the difference between the weeds and the vegetables.

"I know what they are," Link interrupted her. "We have a garden in the forest, too, you know. Saria always makes me help with the weeding and I hate it."

"Who's Saria?"

"She's my best friend."

"Oh. What's it like, living in the forest? Are there really no adults there?" she inquired, vehemently yanking a stubborn pigweed from the dry soil and snapping it off at the base. She brushed dirt over its stump and moved on to the next one.

"I guess there aren't," the boy replied rather absently. The feeding of the cuccos hadn't bothered him, but the squatting position seemed to stretch the skin of his thigh.

"You are so lucky you don't have parents to boss you around!" Sarelle said through clenched teeth as she dashed another unwelcome plant to the ground.

"I'm not lucky," Link replied very quietly.

"Yes, you are. I miss my daddy a lot, and now my mother is always busy that she doesn't have time for me. Always she tells me, 'Feed the cuccos, Sarelle,' 'Weed the garden, Sarelle,' 'Fetch the cow, Sarelle,' 'Put on your shoes, Sarelle.' Why doesn't she leave me alone?!"

While the boy's body was nigh onto exhausted, those remarks caused some very serious thoughts to circulate through his brain. He wasn't the fortunate one, she was. He had failed to save the Great Deku Tree, his father, even though he'd risked his own life to kill the creature of the curse. He'd fled his home on a mission of which he didn't quite yet know the goal, and he'd left behind the one person who had always loved him unconditionally. What was Saria doing now? He glanced up to the orange-pink glow in the sky and imagined that his best friend was standing in a forest clearing, thinking of him with her face uplifted.

"No, I'm not lucky," Link maintained with uncanny insight. "You are. Your mother loves you. She only wants you to help out because she needs you to."

"Hmph. She doesn't, does she?" The girl was skeptical and assumed silence.

After they removed the last of the bothersome pigweeds, Sarelle took her new friend's hand and led him down to the rocky bank of the stream, where the other children were splashing each other and floating little bits of woods and leaves. When they realized that the newcomer was in their midst they dropped whatever they were doing and circled around him again with cries of, "Hey, Link!"

"Why were you gone so long, Rell?" asked one girl; Link remembered her name was Petra.

"I had to do a couple things," the eldest girl replied a bit loftily. "We were busy."

"Hey, Link! Do you want to sail boats with us? Huh? Do you?"

"I would sail my boat… but I lost it a few days ago."

"It's a real pity, Botho. It was a beautiful boat!"

Sarelle's declaration sparked something within the green-clad boy. He reached into his knapsack, untangled the toy he'd found from the other things that were jumbled around in the pack, and produced the little wooden item. "Is this your boat?" he asked.

"Yes! Oh, yes! It's mine!" exclaimed Botho, and all but grabbed it from his hand. Remembering in time, the smaller boy added shyly, "Thanks."

Link smiled rather wearily and nodded.

The children played until the time came for their evening meal, and each one of them scampered to his respective home, while Sarelle insisted that the newcomer accompany her. She ushered him through a door framed with some simple black cloth and greeted her mother a mite sourly. A couple of little faces peeking out from behind her long skirts, Missus Bordan chose not to comment on her daughter's irascibility and made their little guest welcome. When he sank gratefully into a chair at the crude, solid table, she noticed the bandage on his leg.

"You must have our village healer take a look at that," the widow told him. "Don't protest now. I can see you've been traveling; that dressing is dirty and needs changing. As soon as we're finished eating I'll show you the way."

"But Mother!" the girl protested. "I want to!"

"No, dear. I want you to clean up the dishes and help get your siblings ready for bed."

Sarelle pouted and was grouchy for the rest of the evening. She didn't say anything as Link and her mother quit the house but she glared after them, likely giving in to very childish thoughts.

Amid grimaces from the boy, the healer, a middle-aged woman with well-tanned skin and sun-bleached hair, peeled back the bandage that Saria had so carefully wound, inspected the injury and told him it was beginning to heal nicely. She wrapped it up tighter than it had been before and gave him a couple sips of potion. She turned to a slightly worried Missus Bordan and told her, "This boy needs rest. It's the best medicine I can prescribe."

"Yes. Thank you, Herra. Come, Link, I'll show you where you will sleep for the night."

The widow bedded him down with her two little sons, who stared at the bigger boy and his fairy in the dim, candlelit room. Link fell into an exhausted sleep before he could blink twice and he did not hear the whispered conversation between the woman and her daughter at the other side of the one-room hut.

"…Mama?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I'm sorry," Sarelle mumbled very quietly. "I've been awful to you today. I'm sorry, Mama!" Tears were forthcoming and the woman gathered her daughter tenderly in her arms.

"There, there, dear. It's not as bad as you think. I know it's more fun to play with your friends, but we have a responsibility to our village to carry on with your father's work. It's not easy, which is why I need your help. You are my oldest child and there are many things you are capable of doing. Oh, I love you, my Rellie!"

The girl sobbed into her mother's sleeve. "That's what Link told me," came her muffled voice.

"Did he now? He's is a clever boy then." Missus Bordan smoothed the dark hair that hid a tear-stained face. "Tell you what; tomorrow we'll take the boys and go berry picking along the creek."

Sarelle squeezed her mother. "Oh, yes! It's been a long time since we did that! Thank you, Mama!"

They lay upon their own straw mattress on the floor and the girl was thinking happy thoughts about the morrow. Slight, child-like snores reached them from across the room and reminded the widow of the young boy under her roof.

"Did Link tell you where he came from?" she whispered to her daughter.

"He said he lived in the forest and there weren't any adults there."

"…And the children are watched over by fairies. I've heard stories about the place, but I never thought it was really true… Though I don't know why he left the forest, that boy is certainly one of the Kokiri."


	7. Road to Hyrule Town

"Wake up, Link. You've gotta get up because the caravan is leaving."

That voice, accompanied by a pair of hands that shook his shoulder, brought the boy most reluctantly from the land of slumber. "Just five more minutes, Saria," he muttered half intelligibly, snuggling against both of his arms.

"I'm Sarelle, not Saria," the voice persisted. "Come on, Mama said you have to get up or you're going to miss the caravan!" She turned to the small being that fluttered over Link's head. "What's your name, fairy?"

"Navi," replied she, attributing the fact that the girl did not remember because names were easy to forget.

"Is he always so hard to wake up, Navi?"

The guardian fairy smiled faintly. "Yes, he is very hard to awaken. Just keep shaking him and he'll get up eventually."

Sarelle dragged at his arm and he drowsily batted her hands. "Go 'way! I wanna sleep."

The girl put her hands to her hips indignantly. "Don't you push me away, you lazybones! Fine, then. You can miss the caravan for all I care!"

He raised one eyelid heavy with sleep, peeking at her with just a bit of blue iris showing. "Gaahh!" he groaned, and rolled from the straw mattress to the floor. His hair was terribly mussed and fell partway into his eyes, and he had red wrinkles on one side of his face. He pulled himself to a slouching sitting position and started slightly when the girl knelt beside him.

"Hey, are you okay, Link?"

"Y-Yeah," he mumbled, yawning and scratching his leg near the bandage. "I'm okay."

"Good. Well, my mama says that you'd better hurry up because the men are getting ready to leave. Are you actually going to open your eyes?"

"They're…open," said he who could hardly see for the lashes that danced in front of his slitted lids; drowsiness was again attempting to pull them down.

"Oh, brother…!" Sarelle rolled her eyes and repeated a shake of his slumping shoulder.

His fairy floated near his ear and pulled at its pointed tip. "That's enough, Link," she said, forcefully. "Get up, put your boots on and gather your things. Do you hear me?"

"Do I have to?" he moaned.

"Yes, you have to. Open those eyes, Link. Up, up, up!"

Grumbling under his breath, the boy finally brushed the cloud of sleep from his mind and eyes and actually took notice of his surroundings. The two smaller children were still dreaming on that same mattress on which he had been lying, having been completely undisturbed. He glanced around the room.

"Why is it so dark? Isn't it morning?"

"Of course it is. The sun just hasn't started up yet," Sarelle replied. "Do you want me to pick up your bag for you?"

"Uff! Uh, sure," he replied, struggling a bit with his boot.

She snatched up the satchel enthusiastically and opened it to take a peep at its contents. "You have a lot of dried-up food in here. That is kinda disgusting. Ooh, what's this?"

The boy glanced at her and then cried out, stretching forth his hand. "No! Don't mess with that!"

"I'm not doing anything to it!" she retorted, narrowing her eyes.

He jumped to his feet and, with only one boot on, took a step toward her before he quite realized what he was doing. Dropping his chin, he mumbled, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. There's a boy back home who always liked to mess with my stuff…" Link gulped, trying to suppress the instinct to grab the precious instrument from her. "But… I suppose you can look at it if you want. Be really careful with it, okay?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm always handling cucco eggs for my mother and I've never dropped one. What is this, anyway? It looks like a potato but it has all these holes."

"It's an… an…" he said, fumbling through his foggy brain for the pronunciation of the word his best friend had implemented.

"An ocarina," Navi finished for him.

"Yeah, that's it! It's a musical instrument."

"So, what makes it so special?" Sarelle questioned, turning it over and relishing how smooth and cool its touch was in her hands.

He replied very soberly, very quietly, "Saria gave it to me right before I left the forest. She said it was to remember her by."

"Ohhhh. I see why it's special to you. I have something that my father gave me. It's all I have left of him… Would… Would you like to see it?"

The boy nodded, following her with his eyes as she nestled the ocarina into his pack and moved across the room to the pull a small box from its resting place on a shelf situated on the wall at just about her height. She returned to Link and reverently lifted the lid of the wooden container. Inside were the treasures that any child might collect, glass beads of different shapes, sizes and hues, a small rock with her initial formed by nature on one side, a thumbnail-sized doll with no face, and a blue gem which he later learned was money. Nestled in the center of all these was a bottle, its diameter no more than a few inches, inside of which was a diminutive ship with tiny, perfect sails that almost seemed to flutter in some unknown breeze as the ship dipped in imaginary waves.

"Wow…" he whispered, drawing in a sudden breath. "It's a boat, right? It looks a lot nicer than Botho's."

With moist eyes fixed tenderly upon the small bottle, she replied softly, "It's a ship. My daddy made it just for me. He used to be a sailor when he was young and he told me how he loved the sea… He told me it is very far from here and its sweet scent is like a siren's call, whatever that is."

"Have you ever seen the sea?"

"No. I've never been more than a few miles from this village." She shifted her eyes to Link and he glimpsed the longing therein. "You're so lucky you're going on a journey. You get to see things and go places and meet people!"

"It's kinda scary, too…" he admitted.

He hoped she would never experience leaving her home the way he did, that she would never feel so alone in a strange, enormous world, and though she knew the pain of losing a parent, he hoped that no one would knowingly and purposefully harm those she held dear. He shivered while in the midst of those troublesome thoughts; an attentive Navi noticed this, alighted on his shoulder and nestled against the side of his neck.

Sarelle guessed nothing of that which leapt across the synapses of his brain. "If I tell you something will you promise not to laugh?"

The boy raised his head and shook it. "I won't. I promise."

"I dream of going to the sea someday, probably when I'm grown up. I want to experience everything my daddy told me about for myself. When I look out over the water I'll think of what he told me, and I'll do everything he did."

He was also taking a fancy to her desire and found himself wishing that he might glimpse the sea, too. "I hope you get to see it," he said.

"You do? You don't think it's silly then?"

"No. Maybe we'll both go there, because I'd like to see it too."

"I'm glad you don't. Some of the kids here in the village tease me because I want to travel and see places, but when they make fun I throw things at them."

At that moment Missus Bordan entered the dwelling in a bit of a rush. She turned her gaze to her daughter and their visitor and spoke in a quiet, authoritative tone.

"Link, you must hurry if you wish to accompany the caravan. There was a problem with one of the wagons, but now that it's fixed, the men are about to leave. Hurry, get your other boot on!"

Sarelle set her bottled ship back into the box very gently and returned that container to its place. The boy struggled with his second boot; his muscles protested mightily as he stood and, grimacing a bit, he stooped to retrieve his satchel. Meanwhile, having galvanized the two young ones to greater speed, the lady of the house was preoccupied for a several seconds in her little nook of a kitchen squeezed between the two walls, the stove and the table. When finished, she stepped once more into the chilly air of a morning just being born and walked quickly to the barn, followed by the two children.

Missus Bordon crouched to the level of the young boy, her brown skirt trailing in the dust behind her. "Link, take this," she murmured, pressing into his hands the cloth packet she'd packed with a few eatables. "You need food for the journey."

He stared at her with large eyes that appeared as though they could tear up at any moment, seemingly having lost the use of his voice.

"Thank you," the guardian fairy said, with a bob in midair that was almost like a curtsey. "We're very grateful for all you've done for us."

"This world is a huge place. Take care of yourselves. Are you sure you're all right Link?" She had heard him stagger outside in the middle of the night and glimpsed him in the moonlight as he returned, wiping his mouth and carrying the barely perceivable smell of vomit. A patch of weeds near the cucco pen bore everything that had been in his stomach.

"Y-Yes. I…I—"

He threw his goose-pimply arms around her and encircled them behind her neck. She smiled faintly and put her own arm, covered by its coarse sleeve, about his back. The bag she'd given him slipped from the absence of a grasp, to fall to the ground with a little plump sound; his own satchel dangled first from his shoulder and then his arm.

Upon releasing his grip, the boy's eyes were attracted to the ground as if with a magnet and a bit of color had streaked to his cold cheeks. Missus Bordan lifted his chin, gazed into his eyes, astounded by both the courage and sorrow which all but protruded from the blue therein, and only just managed not to reveal the full of the emotion that crept to her chest as she curved her lips upward.

"You be careful on your journey now, you hear?"

He nodded and without anything else to do with his hands, he snatched up the new bag of food that he'd let fall. Sarelle was suddenly upon him and she hugged him fiercely from behind.

"You will come back, won't you?" she queried, her voice trembling.

"I hope so," he mumbled, attempting to twist around so he could at least partly return the embrace.

She stepped back quite suddenly, sniffled and averted her eyes. "You'd better come back. We have to go visit the sea one day, you know," she whispered.

"We'll be sure to visit you when we pass this way again," Navi assured her gently. "We'd best be off, Link."

The boy climbed into the wagon which stood nearby, mostly filled with boxes and bundles of varying sizes, colors and scents. He plopped heavily onto a suitable, handy crate and turned his eyes back to the woman and her daughter who stood to the side. Missus Bordan had gone to stand behind the girl and put her hands around Sarelle's shoulders. A man with sandy, tousled beard and hair jumped up into the driver's seat and plucked up the reins.

"Ready?" he shouted, turning he head to look upon the other wagon and the few men who were on foot, startling Link with his sudden volume. The other men nodded, the drivers snapped the reins and the mules started off.

The boy almost frantically waved his hand, half standing in the lurching vehicle. "Goodbye!" he hollered, raising his voice over the creaking protestations of the wheels.

Sarelle and her mother saluted in a similar manner, but he simply couldn't tell if they were saying anything. The girl broke from the light grip in which Missus Bordan held her and dashed into the dust left by the wagons. Link thought she was trying to shout something to him, but he was unable to discern it. Finally she ceased her sprint and stood with one final wave as the wagons accumulated more speed on the bit of road which they traveled.

"I didn't want to leave…" the little green-clad hero mumbled to his companion.

"I know," she replied commiseratively from her roosting place upon his shoulder. "I know, Link. I'm sorry we had to leave your new friends so soon. We're very lucky we found the village and that they were so kinda as to provide you with a place to sleep."

"Do you think I'll see them again?"

"I'm sure you will, Link. I think you'll find a way. They're fine people and they won't be forgetting you."

"I won't forget them, either. Say, Navi? How do you think her father got that little boat in the bottle?"

Traveling by caravan proved to be only a little faster than a journey by foot would have been for the boy, but now he hadn't the need to expend all his energy. The men who were not occupied with guiding the muless walked with rapid strides not far from the two vehicles; this was a procedure they followed a majority of the time, but when they were in need of a break, two or three of them would hop up beside either driver or at the back of the wagons.

After an hour had wiled itself past the rising of the sun and the gradual warming of everything, the man with the reins tilted his head back a bit and hollered to his young passenger. "Hey, kid! What's yer name?"

"Link," responded he.

"Look, if you wanna get out and stretch your legs, you can do that. Don't fall behind!"

The boy had already been wondering if it might be all right if he climbed down, as his leg ached fiercely after the jouncing and bouncing of the wagon. At that point the vehicle was crawling as the mules clopped up a steep hillock. Without thinking any further on the matter, he threw both legs over the side of the wagon and let himself drop the few feet to the ground, ending in a tumble. Springing up, he rubbed his bruised knee and began walking; at first his legs were stiff and uncooperative, but he quickly adjusted to a fast trot that took him beyond the bit of dust thrown up by the wheels.

Once again he was completely awed by the vastness of the land, the freshness of the bright morning air that he breathed in by gulping mouthfuls, and the variety of terrain and animals that inhabited it. As they moved in a north-northwesterly direction, the grasses took more verdant shades, were fuller and thicker and covered nearly everything within view. The road which they traveled was bordered mostly by greenery and patches of wildflowers, and sometimes cut against the rocky side of a hill; it was not overly used and some parts of it had weeds and grass attempting to invade it.

They stopped every few hours or so to give the mules a rest and a drink at whatever watering place they came upon. The man who drove the wagon in which Link had first been riding seemed to be the leader of the group, for he was the one who gave the order to halt or to start moving again. None of the travelers seemed particularly happy or excited to be on that journey, but the boy was the only one who groaned when they had to continue. The others simply kept to their strident pace, as if they simply wanted to reach the city as soon as they possibly could. Link figured that they'd been on that route before and thus they had knowledge of the watering places. It was certainly something to keep in mind if he ever came through the area again, so as to avoid the problem he'd had the day before.

"Hey, kid!" bellowed the man in charge as he mounted the driver's seat again. "Get yerself back over here! We're leaving!"

The green-clad child glanced toward him from his shady spot beneath a tree filled with white blossoms. "I wish we didn't have to go so soon! My feet hurt!"

"You could ride in the wagon again," his guardian reminded him.

"I know, but I don't like it. It shakes me all around and makes my teeth ache."

"Well, you'd better hurry up. They're about to leave, Link."

He sighed, rose, and trudged after the wooden vehicles that would be creaking down the road again in a matter of seconds. Despite his tender feet, he was determined to keep walking until he couldn't stand it anymore and he relished not the thought of having to speak with the gruffly-mannered leader if he were to climb into the wagon again. The men unnerved him a bit with their hardy laughter and deep, sometimes hoarse voices; their leader especially reminded him in some small way of the dark-skinned, malevolent sorcerer who had invaded the forest.

"I don't like the way he looks at me," the boy whispered to Navi. "He looks like he wants to do something bad like that man did to the Great Deku Tree."

"Oh no, Link. That man was evil and he came with the intention of doing what he did, but this one is not like that."

"How can you tell?" he asked, crinkling his eyebrow doubtfully.

"I'm a fairy. I can sense these things from everyone. The man who drives that wagon is not bad. He may look a bit sour on the outside but he has the heart and soul of a gentleman. Why do you suppose Missus Bordan was glad to see him in charge of this caravan?"

"Oh. I…didn't think of that. Why does he always yell at me whenever he says something?"

"I think he's used to doing that because he has to make sure that you can hear him when you're far away and he calls to the men that way so his voice won't go unnoticed. Don't worry, Link. They may seem big and frightening right now, but you'll have to give yourself a chance to get used to them, okay?"

He glanced at her dubiously and then turned his eyes back to the road, so as to avoid stumbling over any of the large rocks that had fallen from a bit of steep, barren hillside to their left. He wasn't sure that he wanted to trust the beings who towered over him by two feet or so, but her words were as a salve to his troubled little soul.

Throughout the earlier part of the day the party had gradually been climbing, causing their progress slacken to a degree that the child could keep up if he maintained a swift trot. They passed through one tiny hamlet, where they only paused long enough to give the mules another drink. The midday sun had set its merciless, shining face upon them and was slowly making its descent from the peaks of the sky when the travelers also ceased their climb and settled into a faster pace across plains that streaked as far as the eye could see.

Link's energy waned considerably as the interminable afternoon hours toiled. His steps faltered as he decreased speed in an attempt to calm his gasping breaths, and the rest of the caravan continued without noticing his slackened pace. His shouts were too weak and they were too far away to catch the ineffective words. Suddenly struck by a fear of being left in a land about which he knew much too little, he forced his legs to pelt after the wagons, but an awful stitch in his side forced him to cease.

Leaning over with his hands on his knees, he wheezed frantically, "Navi…! I've lost them!"

"No, no, you're doing all right, Link. They've been traveling this road all along, right? We'll just continue along it and we'll catch up to them. Don't worry, okay? Just catch your breath first."

He gestured affirmatively and panted heavily. When the pain in his side faded enough that he could move again, he began hiking, slowly at first and gradually lengthening his stride to a pace to which his body would not protest overly. The one worrisome thought that screamed through his mind was like a vulture swooping to pick at him in his defenseless worry; he could no longer summon any distrust for the village men and desperately wished and hoped he would soon align himself with them once more.

The green land dipped and swelled almost like ocean waves; the boy would spot the wagons nearing the crest of a rise and then disappear over its top. Once he also mounted that same hill he glimpsed them still further across the plain; the distance between them seemed to be broadening and he fretted whether he would catch up to them.

"Link, look," his companion cried, gesturing with tiny finger and arm to the skies.

The child tilted up his head accordingly and glimpsed that which she saw. "It's… a big bird. What is it, Navi? Is it…something bad?"

"No, I think it is friendly enough. If it had wanted to harm us it would have done so before now. It's just flying up there as if watching us."

"Oh… Are you sure?" he mumbled.

"Actually, I think it's a good sign, Link. Perhaps it is a spirit watching over us and protecting us. There are many of them around this land, both good and bad…but this one has no evil intentions."

Once again, her words assuaged the severest of his apprehensions, but he cast frequent glances to the nearly cloudless sky. All thoughts of the great bird were driven from his mind, however, when they reached a fork in the road. The boy halted abruptly and stared at the twin branches which at the beginning seemed to head in only slightly different directions. He was suddenly reminded of their nightmarish excursion into the depths of the Deku Tree, and the feeling of being utterly lost returned to him as with a blow. He had no idea which track would bear them to Castle Town and he had not seen the wagons for a quarter hour. His companion was also quite dismayed, for not even she could be sure of the right direction and there was no sign with a few helpful words which might aim them to the correct path; the tracks of hooves and wagon wheels were not readily apparent on the rock-strewn road.

"N-Navi! What do we do now? We'll never catch up, will we?"

"Now Link… Don't worry so," she muttered. "I think the castle should be this way, but I don't know for sure where these roads will take us. Oh dear… What to do?"

"Don't you know?" he asked, his voice tremoring with unmistakable fear.

"I could fly ahead and figure out which way we should go. I guess that's the only solution, really."

"No! Don't leave me, Navi!"

"How am I going to find out which way if I don't fly ahead?"

"Please don't! I don't want to be alone…" he whimpered.

"Oh, Link…" she murmured, nuzzling against the cheek down which a tear slipped. She was about to follow with a few well-chosen words of comfort when she noted a great, winged shadow swooping just over their heads. "Link! It's that bird again!"

Throwing up his head, the child noted that what she said was true. "It's… It's showing us the way," he whispered, his eyes as wide as buttons and an unshed tear still glimmering in each of those very blue recesses.

"The goddesses surely sent this spirit to guide us," declared the guardian fairy. "We mustn't waste any time! Let's go!"

Promptly, he began jogging beneath the shadow of the huge bird; he turned his glance very briefly upward and noticed that its feathery face looked upon him with strange, dark eyes. He was not afraid and somehow the creature brought him the feeling of solace that nearness to the Great Deku Tree always afforded him.

"It's an owl, which is weird," Navi informed him. "Owls are nocturnal animals."

Link remembered Saria's stories of those blessed birds and their nightly prowls within the forest. He remembered the "Twoot! Who! Whoot!" sounds as he'd lain in his bed just before the fields of sleep claimed him. He'd caught a glimpse of one of the creatures by fairy light on a midsummer night on which his best friend and protector had let him remain past his bedtime by a little bit.

After a few hundred yards, the feathered creature flapped its immense wings, gained altitude, and soared northward until it disappeared from the boy's line of sight altogether. Between halfway looking where he was scurrying and checking the horizon for signs of the caravan, he felt a certain sadness that his very temporary guide was leaving him.

"Goodbye…" he murmured, waving his dominant hand.

The little hero shifted his burden of food which was slung over his sword and shield, and when he stumbled over a lump in the roadway he decided he should pay more attention to the places he set his feet. Onward he trudged, trying to move with as much celerity as he could muster without exhausting himself completely, and hoping fruitlessly for a glimpse of his fellow travelers. Too preoccupied with scrambling, he hadn't the breath to spare to evince his concerns to his companion. She could well guess the thoughts that betrayed themselves by the distress in his eyes, for which she offered small, encouraging words.

The most alarming thing occurred to Link when the lowering sun cast a blush to the sky and the few clouds scattered about it and he had not yet caught up to, let alone even seen the wagons. He stopped twice to wet his cracked lips with a bit of the water with which he'd filled his flask at the last stream, and as he placed one travel-worn boot in front of the other, he gnawed worriedly at a bit of biscuit from his pack.

Shining more darkly than usual in its farewell to both land and boy, that great orange orb sank slowly behind the horizon and the heavens gradually ceded to darkness. The child was still able to make out the path through the dimness and the magnified glow of his fairy aided him further.

His tone was laced with no small amount of apprehension as he turned to his guardian and said, "Navi, we're not going to catch up to them…are we? I think…we're lost."

"No, not lost," replied she, swooping back in the air and turning toward him. "All we have to do is follow the road and—"

"Someone is out there!" Link cried suddenly, and pointed to the distant hillside where a tall dark shape ate up the yards like they were feet.

"It's hard to tell…" she mused, her own heart giving several quick beats within her tiny breast. "It may be a man, but I can't say for sure. Be careful, okay?"

He reached to his sword with a trembling hand and first thought he would wait for the man, or whatever it was, to near him, but those seconds were interminable. He crept forward cautiously, his brains besieged by memories of the nasty little monsters that had plagued the insides of the Great Deku Tree; he fretted that if it was indeed something that wanted to attack him, he would not be able to wield his weapon with the skill he needed to defend himself.

In the space of a few minutes, both boy and fairy recognized one of the men from the caravan as he strode quite purposefully toward them. Link glimpsed the disgruntled look upon his features and, almost wishing he were a foe, the boy stopped dead in his tracks as the traveler moved within the circle of fairy light.

"So I've found you at last," groused he, scowling darkly at the child. "Do you know how dangerous it is to be alone at night, kid?"

"I didn't mean to fall behind," the little fellow replied quietly, his tone sullen. "You didn't hear me when I called."

"Dorin told you not to dawdle, you know. Come on, we've made camp near the creek. Don't fall behind again."

That slightly whiskery, rather young man, who answered to the name of Uzar, turned and marched away with a long-legged stride that compelled Link to scurry in his wake. They followed the road until they mounted the same rise on which the boy had first seen Uzar tramping; shortly after they swerved from the road and approached a bit of a copse, through which the aforementioned creek gurgled. Link was never so relieved to see a group of people for whom he had no real fondness, and even better was the aroma of something cooking over a snapping fire.

"Hey, you found him," hollered the caravan leader, glancing up.

Uzar responded with a quick laugh. "Yeah, I found him a little ways back on the road. He'd gotten lost or something."

"I did not get lost! I was following the road the whole time."

Dorin rose to his full six feet, two inches. "Hey, don't go mouthing off, kid. You never know what is going to jump at you from this darkness. Strange things are happening. Just don't go wanderin' off on your own anymore, eh?"

The child put forth his lower lip and kicked his boot against a slight mound of soil and grass.

"Well, if you're going to be difficult I guess you won't be wanting any dinner."

Link's head flew up; he chewed at his lip for two seconds and then muttered, "F-Fine. I won't."

Shaking his head and muttering something about kids who knew no manners, the man of the sandy beard drew near the fire ring once again. All the others were loitering in the immediately vicinity after having seen to the well-being of the animals, and viewed the sizzling meat with the eyes of men who had been hiking all day. Upon returning, Uzar went directly to his brother, who made occasional turns to the spit, and all but demanded to know if he'd let enough of the meat fall into the flames that it was adequately cooked.

"If you think you could have done better, you should have stayed behind and I'd have gone after the kid!" retorted the younger of the two.

"Ha! Don't make me laugh, Wilem. You're terrible at finding a trail. You would have been lost faster than the kid was!"

The young adult so spoken to withdrew his hand from the spit and rapidly stood to face his brother, with the fires of irritation burning in his eyes next to a reflection of actual flames. "And you wouldn't know how to prepare game if your sweetheart depended on it!"

Uzar colored darkly, stepped menacingly nearer his brother and growled right back, "Snipe! Don't you bring Glori's name into this! Just because—"

"Cut it out, you two!" interrupted Dorin, putting a hand in front of both young men. "Enough of your arguing! That meat is about to fall in the fire and if it does I'll take it out of both your hides."

With one final glare, Wilem stooped to pull the spit with sizzling, dripping, half-blackened meat from the low flames and then set it upon a small pile of rocks a few feet away. Everyone except the boy darted forward and at least attempted at snagging the choicest piece of the meat, which resulted in a number of muttered curses and somewhat singed fingers. They drifted away to blow on and consume the spoils, leaving a carcass with scant bits of meat left upon it.

When he'd caught his first whiff of the roasting game Link salivated mightily and practically drooled, but somehow now the thought of food caused his stomach to churn uncomfortably. He gulped and tried to swallow the uneasiness that crept up his throat.

His guardian noticed this and inquired, "What's the matter? Aren't you hungry, Link?"

"I thought I was but I don't think I could eat anything right now. My tummy feels funny."

"Oh dear… Perhaps it was all the strain and nervousness from earlier. Well, might you want to take some meat for yourself in case you feel better? There's hardly anything left as it is."

"I suppose so."

He stumbling wearily to the rocks and spit and gazed upon it with another clench of his stomach; the remaining meat, which clung to the abundance of bones, was pale and pink, unlike the crispy, charred places which had been the exterior. The skewers had been torn out with sections of cooked flesh and lay to each side, the ends of the hastily made wooden points still slightly reddened.

"Um… I don't think I want any," muttered the child, swallowing something that felt very much like his tongue.

"You still have some food left in your pack, right? You can just eat more of that when you get hungry," suggested Navi, looking doubtfully askance at the meat.

A couple of other hungry travelers finished their portions and returned to scrounge a few more possible scraps. Link drifted a number of paces away from the feeding frenzy and let the ground claim his shaky limbs. Without taking the time to remove his sword and shield, he lay on his side and closed his eyes, which seemed a luxury after the exacting day. His companion fluttered over his ear.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he replied, his eyes still firmly closed. "Can you just let me rest, Navi? I don't want anything…"

The fairy frowned a bit and dimmed her glow so that she was hardly visible. She made to land on his shoulder, but her charge shifted and waved her away; the slight scowl on her lips melted into something more sorrowful. Her eyes seemed to lack their usual vibrant purple hues and remained a very somber gray, clouding over briefly with a distressing recollection. Shaking her head as if to dispel those thoughts, she alighted daintily on the ground behind him and settled against that piece of bark from the Great Deku Tree.

After a time the fairy began feeling a mite drowsy and while she guessed that the boy was similarly affected, she had the distinct impression that he was certainly awake. The men had plucked every particle of meat from the carcass of the animal and finished their meal with the dried food they carried with them. After thus filling their bellies, all but Dorin and one other settled down into their blankets; the two who remained took watch away from the fire and at opposing sides. The leader turned an eye to the child who had separated himself from the others, but he spared no words.

"Navi…"

The quiet voice of the boy hailed her elongated ears and caused her to rise just a bit in anticipation of answering whatever query he might have, but fickle fate had decided that she would not then learn what it was. His back was still to her and he paused, as if he was trying to decide how to form the words, when those thoughts were disrupted by the eerie, almost grating sound of something that might have been laughter.

The guardian fairy leapt to the air immediately and Link also jerked quite upright, both with palpitating hearts and shaking limbs suddenly filled with adrenaline. At first sweeping glance there seemed to be nothing so amiss as to have caused that most unsettling noise, but even the men were aroused. Dorin and the other guard were suddenly with long knives in their hands and a single crossbow leaned against the rock on which the former had seated himself. The other travelers peered up from their blankets and some scrabbled for whatever weapon was handiest, be it a half burnt stick from the fire or a walking staff.

Many dozens of pairs of glowing orbs rose silently from the ground like little orange ghosts and for several seconds just seemed to hover in the air without anything attached. Only when those pupil-less eyes lurched forward did the horrified onlookers glimpse the skeletal bodies that accompanied them. Mostly deteriorated muscles and flesh hung from the darkened bones of the creatures, most of whom barely reached a height greater than Link's. Soil and variegated bits of organic debris at first clung to them when they emerged and though it fell as they staggered through their initial steps, a portion of it adhered to their skulls. Though their eye sockets were empty, the unblinking, unmoving orbs therein seemed to stare a crippling fear into the hearts of everyone who gazed upon them.

"Link! Watch out!" shrieked the fairy.

Several of the nearest creatures attempted to ambush the boy from behind but he spun, making a broad sweep with his sword the second he drew it from its sheath, thereby decapitating two of his many assailants. Even so, the headless skeletons continued walking around, mostly in circles, flailing their arms. He swung the blade repeatedly, in wild arcs and with eyes clouded with blind terror; had he utilized his weapon with more skill and care, he could have dispatched the horrific little monsters with half the effort than that which he actually expended. Fortunately for him, the enemies carried no weapons and only attacked with sweeps of their strangely sharp, bone fingertips, but these left him with quite a few parallel scratches, most of which were superficial. Each of those creatures required a number of slashes to finally cut them down for good, leaving a great number of bones scattered about that were not far in size from those that bore the very live child's weight.

In a very brief respite from clumsily eliminating the children of bone, Link turned his fear-widened eyes to his fellow travelers and noticed that they fared no better than he. The creatures assaulted the men on nearly every side and it seemed that no matter how many of the undead they slew, more would rise from the leaves, grass and damp ground. The air resounded with that peculiar, unsettling laughter that emanated from almost fleshless throats and mouths of rotted teeth, and with the grunts and oaths which rolled continually from several masculine tongues.

As he fought so desperately, the boy found himself retreating slowly toward the partial circle of men, whom he could only think of as friends in those moments of crisis. Navi's attempts at distracting the little creatures by flying into their faces was only partly successful; mostly she remained hovering just over the head of her charge, crying warnings when one came too close, offering advice that, more often than not, went ignored in the overall hysteria, and leaping to either side when one of the gruesome things decided to take a swing at her.

"Get away from here, kid!" barked Dorin as Link backed nearer to their defensive circle. "Go find someplace safe!"

Perhaps the child was already sorely tempted to do just that had he seen the chance, but those words sparked something within in his young soul and urged him to do just the opposite. The dread and terror that caused him to chop at his foes in such an unrestrained manner was no less, but that bit of courage was trying to catch up to his galloping fear. The sword felt ever heavier in his paw with each passing second and he felt sure his hollow legs would anytime refuse to support his weight. He did not register the fact that as he fought, gasping cries tore themselves laboriously from his lips and his eyes stung with bitter tears.

What was only a few minutes of the frenzied assault by the skeletal creatures seemed considerably magnified to all who beat them back to the ground whence they came. Their prolific numbers dwindled at last; Dorin finished off two and suddenly they glimpsed no more little monsters coming after them. Link rasped on one long, shaky breath and realized all at once that the sickly feeling that had previously lain uneasily in his stomach like a piece of bad fruit was now in his mouth. He dropped his sword, sank to his hands and knees, and retched with great gasping heaves.

"Oh, Link," murmured his companion, wishing hopelessly that she could ease his discomfort.

He gasped and choked and when finished, crawled a couple of feet away from the mess he'd made, as feebly as newborn kitten. The boy's head swam, causing the dying embers of the fire to swirl before him and both the heavens and the trees to be somewhat inverted. He reached out a hand to try to steady himself, the world, or the trees—anything to make them cease their mad, swirling dancing.

"Hey, kid! You all right?" shouted Dorin, striding into his twisted line of vison.

Link turned his glazed eyes upward, yet he could not focus on the nearly upside-down face that floated in front of him. Then those trembling lids closed over his blue irises and he flopped forward insensibly, like a rag doll with which a small child had grown tired of playing.

He knew nothing of what occurred while he was unconscious but he had a very lucid memory of a soft, womanly hand caressing his brow and whispering something he could not understand. That impression likely lasted only a few seconds, as he came to with a very different hand, much larger and calloused, slapping his cheek. A slight cough tickled at the back of his throat and he lifted the coverings of his eyes once more, whereupon someone put the mouth of a bottle to his lips. The smell that issued therefrom was strong and musty, causing him to wrinkle his nose and push away the offending scent.

"Hey, come on kid. You've gotta drink some of this. It'll make you feel better."

The boy glimpsed the narrow neck of the bottle coming toward him again and before he could really decide whether he should accept some of it or not, some of the cool liquid trickled out and tumbled down his throat. For the first second it tasted slightly sweet and luscious against his taste buds and then it ignited; he gasped, choked and coughed as it burned and scraped its way to his stomach where still it smoldered.

"I thought you put some potion in that!" exclaimed the agitated voice of his guardian from overhead. "He's never had anything so strong before!"

Dorin responded almost sheepishly, "It does have a bit of red potion in it, but I only had that tiny bit. Don't worry; he only took a small sip. It won't do him any harm."

If Navi was quite satisfied with that response she didn't evince it; instead she fluttered still closer to her charge and pressed her hand against his cheek as the dry hacking subsided. "You are all right, Link?"

He attempted to reply but his throat was so raw and his voice so hoarse that he barely could manage a wheeze. He dipped his head in acknowledgment and cast his be-teared eyes about for his sword; he knew he'd let it slip to the ground just before and he was sure the Great Deku Tree would never pardon him if he allowed anything to happen to it. He realized, in his examination of his surroundings, that his head had been resting against Dorin's sinewy leg during his unconsciousness and it was from the bottle that man still held in his hairy hand that the draught of liquid fire had come.

"You haven't got much skill but you certainly have determination, kid!" boomed he, slapping his thigh and taking just a small swig from the glass flask.

The child turned to him with the question he could not force from his vocal chords written across his features.

"I never thought a little thing like you could be sorta handy in a fight like that. You were kinda sloppy but you made up for it with grit."

"You were very brave," Navi agreed.

A flustered Link glanced away and finally laid eyes on the object which he'd been seeking. Upon plucking it from the ground he noted that not only had someone cleaned it and returned it to the scabbard which had been removed from his back, the weapon was also nestled in the slight curve of his shield, which was also lying next to a few rocks that poked themselves through the grass. He shifted his eyes around the campsite and observed the men cleaning up the last remnants of the harrowing battle of bony creatures.

"I… I'm…" the boy faltered, struggling to make his voice operate properly. He remembered something his fairy had told him about how children were supposed to address their elders. "I'm not brave, mister."

"Hey, just call me Dorin, okay?" he of that name declared. Turning more serious, he added, "Look, kid, don't sell yourself short. You could have run away and yet you stayed. If that's not courage, I'd hate to see someone who's really a coward."

"I was really, really scared. I just really wanted to run away…"

"But you didn't. That's the important thing. Hey, look, kid. We have to be up early tomorrow for another long day of driving. If you don't want to be fallin' behind again tomorrow you're going to have to get some sleep."

"What about…?"

"Those skeleton guys? Don't worry, kid. We'll be keeping watch and nothing is going to sneak up on us."

Dorin gave the little fellow his own blanket and made sure the child had a prime spot on a cushion of leaves and then the former took to a spot a good dozen yards away. Though Link was extraordinarily sleepy and had much trouble keeping his eyelids from conforming to gravity, he also experienced a gnawing in his belly that he'd not felt before. As he lay in his slightly lumpy bed that smelled of the earth and just a smidgen like the stuff in Dorin's bottle, he continually inserted his hand into his pack and fumbled for morsels of food, which, upon extraction, he stuffed into his yawning mouth. The satchel was still open and his fingers hidden inside when he succumbed to his exhaustion.

The caravan leader woke him the next morning before the sun could kiss the country with the blush of dawn. The men had seen to the fitness of the two wagons and mules, and were ready to start moving again. Dorin instructed the sleepy boy to climb to the seat next to him and though the latter felt much like falling to slumbering again, the chill morning air quickly blew the cobwebs from his brain as they moved onto the road once more.

"There were a couple more of those bony guys last night, but we took care of them quick enough. Did ya sleep well, kid?"

Link nodded, his lungs too busy combating the wind that rushed into his nostrils and mouth to waste breath on mere words. In fact, he felt better rested than he had for the two nights previous, despite all the excitement that had occurred not long before he had fallen asleep. When he whispered of this to his guardian, she surmised that his body had expelled the last vestiges of poison from Gohma, which was surely what had caused him to regurgitate his food those times and to feel so weary in addition to his travels.

That day they journeyed past a couple villages which the boy only saw from a distance; the road wove, rose and dipped across the great plains of Hyrule, coming in occasional contact with sources of water both large and small. Dorin, who had taken quite a liking for the green-clad child, thrust the reins into his much smaller hands and proceeded with an impromptu lesson on driving the vehicle.

"No, kid, hold the reins in both hands. Hold 'em tight or they'll just slip right out!"

This Link did, but he wondered, "Why do you drive with only one hand sometimes?"

"Ha ha! You're an observant one, aren't ya kid? Well, you have to get used to driving first, plus I have a lot bigger hands 'n you."

The caravan leader issued many more such instructions; in the heat of a few moments he raised his voice more than he meant to, which in turn caused the boy to freeze up and alternatively clutch at and loosen his grasp upon the leather. If, in such a case they were heading toward mishap, Dorin swiftly seized the reins and righted the vehicle before they or the mules could come to any actual danger. The child was certainly no genius in the driving of the wagon; it seemed that when he was in control they jounced over every solitary uneven bit in the road and he found his hands growing a mite raw from the fearsome grip he employed.

"I'll take over for a while now."

The boy relinquished the reins and leaned back into the seat a bit, squeezing his hands together a bit and testing their tenderness. He figured he'd have some pretty big calluses if he kept doing things like that and he grinned a bit to himself, thinking that Mido could never make fun of him again for having "baby hands."

"Hey kid," Dorin muttered, surprising him with a lack of volume to his voice.

"Yes, mister?"

"Hey, remember now, just call me Dorin. Kid… I want your opinion on something. You've got to tell me what you think here and no beating around the bush."

"Okay, mi—Dorin," replied the green-clad child, lifting his face a mite and shading his eyes from the sun that was fairly low in its descent.

"You were with Missus Bordan and her little girl for a while day before yesterday. Did they… seem happy to you?"

Link tilted his head and thought. "They looked sad when they told me Mister Bordan died. They were very nice to me and Sarelle's mother gave me a bag of food."

Navi interjected, "I'm not sure if this is quite the answer you're looking for, but they had plans to go berry picking and the girl was very pleased."

"That's good to know," mumbled the man. Briefly, he tucked his chin to his chest and then raised it again and fixed Link with a rigid stare. "Kid, I'm going to tell you a little story because I'm sure you're smart enough not to blab it to others. Alte Bordan and I were best friends when we were smaller 'n you and we promised each other that we'd always remain true. We never broke that promise."

"I have a best friend, too. Before I left she told me we'd always be friends."

"Alte and I, even when we grew up we stayed close. We worked together, fought together and got drunk together. He married a girl who came back with him after one of our voyages; they started a family together while I remained a bachelor. Usually we would go on these excursions to the city together, except when his first son was born. This is the first time I've had to make the trip without him coming along to make sure I don't run everyone into the ground. Right before he died, Alte made me vow something else; he wanted me to look after his wife and see that no one treats her badly."

Several moments of silence followed, in which Link let his eyes relax back into gazing at the scenery again, watching enthusiastically as they passed more grassy knolls and scattering animals, though they never seemed to get any closer to the mountains that stretched up in the distance. He could not comprehend all that the man relayed to him and he almost forgot about it amidst the pleasant wanderings of his mind.

"He asked too much of me!" Dorin exclaimed, though quiet enough that they were not overheard. "She is a fine woman. I cannot get close to her. She and Alte loved each other and she would resent me coming in to disrupt her life that is already so disrupted! She would think I am trying to replace him and she would hate me for it." He lowered his voice still further so that even Link could not catch his next words. "I am a fool…"

"Missus Bordan was very nice to me," repeated the child, unconsciously bumping against the nearly empty satchel of food at his feet. "I like her. And Sarelle showed me the ship that her father gave her. Say, Mister Dorin, how did he get that little boat inside the bottle?"

A corner of the mouth surrounded by sandy beard curved upward. "It's magic," he replied, knowing that the boy would take him quite seriously. He did not, however, mention that it was from him that Sarelle's father had learned to make those little curiosities.

"O-Oh."

As the sun turned the purely blue skies varying shades of gold, Link noticed something forming on their horizon. At first all he saw where some pointed spires and the very tips of the roof of the most elaborate house he'd yet seen, and as the mules continued plodding onward he glimpsed more of the great white edifice that basked in the setting sun, more roofs of smaller houses, and surrounding all was a great wall. His sharp ears just caught the sounds of the throngs of people and animals who were surely housed in the city.

When they were almost to those great gray fortifications, he glimpsed a wide river that curved around the walls and lapped darkly against the near shore. He was about to express his concerns about running into it to the man who sat beside him, but then the wagon wheels began rumbling over a sturdy bridge of much dirtied planks. They pulled up just outside the entrance while Dorin spoke with one of the two guards who stood at either side of the gateway like twins. The man in the armor cast a cursory glance over the contents of the wagons and then nodded them onward. Link stared up as they passed below the great arch into which the bridge would fit when drawn up, and felt that he was penetrating an altogether different world.

"Welcome to Hyrule Town, kid."


	8. From Inn to Castle

The child's eyes seemed to be as deep and broad as an ocean as he gawped at the crowded chaos that engulfed them almost as soon as they passed beneath the gateway. Dorin grasped the reins loosely and the mules were reduced to a mere crawl by the press of people that hurried in all sorts of directions around them. A few of these persons took the opportunity to hop to the side of the wagon and glance quickly over all contained therein.

"You've got some good stuff, eh Dorin?"

"We'll be selling it tomorrow," hollered he in reply, turning his head toward the citizen who addressed him. "Come on over and buy something then!"

"Hoy! Dorin! Do you have that special bit and bridle I asked for?"

"Sure do, Guthry. Come by tomorrow and I'll have it ready for you!"

Someone else shouted, "You're going to the tavern later?"

"As soon as we get settled in!" the caravan leader hollered back.

"Hah! It looks like you got stuck with babysitting! How'd that happen?"

"You don't know the half of it, friend. I'll tell you all about it later. Come on, you mangy mules! Get on!"

None of those words or of the confusing babble that prevailed around them registered in Link's ears as he cast his button-wide eyes to and fro, up and down, all around and back again. The first thing that so amazed him was the sheer number of people who still thronged the streets that were slightly dimmed beneath skies painted in shades of rose and gold. He spotted a great many adults and children, the latter of which were sometimes accompanied by the former or were other times alone. These inhabitants of Castle Town were clothed in varying manners which Link would later learn denoted their jobs or social position. A couple of children who ran by had donned some strange stiff thing that seemed to fit rather well over their faces.

Other vehicles also tried to gain the right of way through the throngs; some of these were conveyances much like the one he rode, others were simple carts that could be pulled by man or beast, and still others were plush-lined carriages which belonged to some influential, usually wealthy citizen. Link glimpsed inside one of these grand vehicles a grey-haired, wrinkly mouthed lady who smiled very briefly at him, and a dark-headed youth who scowled deeply.

Upon glancing toward the roofs which yawned far over his head, the boy had the feeling that the buildings, usually reaching up for at least two stories, kept some sunlight from the streets and allowed no room for trees, but he was simply too excited and exhilarated to dwell upon that thought. Through gaps in the great multitude of hurrying feet, he glimpsed a roadway composed of smoothly surfaced rocks which appeared fitted together intricately, like so many pieces of a gigantic puzzle.

A number of odors assailed his nose; some of these were pungent and seemed to cut sharply through the air, others were downright unpleasant and worthy of nose crinkling, still others bore the sweet, almost overbearing fragrance of flowers; however, what really interested the green-clad child was the scent of food. He glimpsed it in various merchants' stalls as they passed by, and he could almost glimpse the aroma coming from the doors and windows of a quite a number of homes. Again he nudged the pack by his feet, quite aware that it was empty of all victuals.

He was repeatedly amazed by the incessant clamor that constantly assailed his pointed ears, a blend of the voices from many hundreds of throats, the braying, honking, clucking, neighing and mooing of animals, and the creaking, rapping, and clanking noises that came from vehicles and equipment. Had he entered what seemed to be such a tumultuous mess by himself, he likely would have been so daunted that he would have just stood in the roadway and felt completely adrift in a sea of humanity.

He leaned a bit nearer the man who sat beside him as he attempted to comprehend everything that went on around him, all the while thinking what a vastly different place the city was from his lovely little home in the forest. His mind was turning to his green-haired friend and telling himself that she probably wouldn't like this place any more than he did, when he suddenly noticed that they had ceased moving. The boy turned to ask Dorin why he'd stopped the mules and discovered that the caravan leader had dismounted from the box and was pulling something from the back of the wagon.

"Why'd we stop?" the child inquired, hastily scooting nearer the edge so that he too could hop down.

"We're here. This is where we stop for the night, kid. And it's about time, too; it's getting dark."

Link viewed the sky briefly and realized that in the time he'd been gawping at everything, the sun had slipped down without fanfare, leaving the streets extremely dim where the light of the lamps reached not. Dorin had pulled to the back side of a tavern, next to which was a great barn of a livery stable. The boy glimpsed a whole assortment of buildings every way he turned, but none of them he could discern well enough to know what they were.

"Where are we?" he questioned further, sliding stiffly from the wagon's seat.

"This is a tavern, where we'll be getting our dinner. We always stay in the rooms just above. Kid, I have to see that the wagons are put away for the night, but Uzar and Wilem will take you inside and see that you get some grub."

The two young men were already heading inside the building that leaked light through windows and doorways which were not quite closed. The elder brother turned briefly at the leader's mention of his name, and scowled as he turned his gaze from his fellow villager to Link. Then he hurried once more for the door, so as not to let his sibling get ahead of him. It seemed as though the boy was still too caught up in observing his surroundings to quite realize what he was supposed to do. Even with the fall of night, the streets of Castle Town did have a touch of the cool air that he knew so well from the forest.

"Hurry, Link," the fairy urged him. "Catch up to them!"

He lowered his eyes from the buildings which so fascinated him and looked upon her for a second before he scurried toward the tavern. Even as he did he cast his eyes about him, in an attempt to take in every movement, every sight in this foreign place that reminded him of one of ever-busy beehive he'd glimpsed while under Saria's care, except here was no scent of fresh honey.

As he was one step away from the threshold he collided with a heavyset, jowled man who made a hurried exit. Unable to keep his balance, Link sprawled on the hard roadway and found himself staring into the watery, bloodshot eyes in a face framed with greasy, unwashed hair and several day's growth of whiskers. The child trembled a mite as he did so, and attempted to scrabble backward.

"Watch where ya go, ya filthy brat!" snarled that tavern patron.

For a moment, he looked as though he would perhaps pluck the boy from the ground and strike him mercilessly, but a few shouts sounded above the din from within the tavern and the man quickly faded into the darkness. Link was on the verge of rising again when three more men, with appearances nearly as unkempt as the first man, all but catapulted themselves from the establishment. He scrambled out of the way and watched a little breathlessly as they tore down the street in pursuit.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Navi questioned, fluttering over him as he slowly rose to his feet.

"No, I'm okay." Link turned to her and involuntarily shivered. "That man looks bad. What did he do?"

"Nothing we need to be concerned about, I'm afraid." She contemplated voicing her concerns about entering a place where it seemed such undesirable characters congregated, but Dorin seemed trustworthy enough and his recommendation would likely be safer than some other, unknown place.

This time, the boy stepped into the building with no further mishaps; immediately he felt as though he'd been slapped in the face. He wanted to gag; the room, crowded with so many people, smelled strongly of unwashed bodies, hot, spicy food, some other nasty things, and the unmistakable scent of the bit of fiery liquid he'd downed the night before. He'd heard the clamor from outside, but now, being much nearer the noise made him wince. He coughed drily several times and put his hand over mouth and nose until he grew accustomed to the assault on his senses.

The lights in the tavern were just enough that one could thread one's way through the almost non-existent aisles, but dim enough that it was nigh impossible to properly distinguish a face from across the room. Link hastily scanned the place in an attempt to glimpse someone he recognized, but there were simply too many large bodies blocking his view. His breaths came quicker as he fretted; he wished he hadn't when he nearly gagged on the overpowering odors again.

"Th-they're here, aren't they?" he asked his fairy.

"Of course. We saw them go in, didn't we? We'll just have to find them. They're probably sitting at some table where we can't see them."

"I don't like it in here, Navi. Can't we go back outside to Dorin?"

"No, we'd better not," she replied; goodness knew what might be lurking in the darkness without. "Let's just find Uzar and Wilem, all right? Maybe some of the others are in here by now, too."

But the boy looked longing to the doorway, which somehow seemed much further away than it had when he first entered the oppressive room. He covered his mouth and blanched.

"It's okay, Link. I am with you. Take your breaths slowly. We'll look for them together, all right?" she said soothingly, brushing against his ear.

"O-o-okay," he mumbled, wishing with every fiber of his being that he wasn't in the middle of a dark, smoky room with a great lot of scary, raucous men. He'd grown to trust those who had been on the caravan, especially Dorin, but after the incident outside the door he was once more put on edge.

He drifted through the almost nonexistent aisles, shrinking each time a patron even looked at him. A couple of them guffawed and snorted something too garbled to understand; one man seemed quite interested in the blade on Link's back, but the boy scurried away so quickly that he hadn't a chance to examine it, much less remove it completely. Further into the room, the noise and smell seemed to close over the child more than ever; he gazed about frantically and finally spotted the young men for whom he searched.

He tripped over a bottle someone had left on the floor and all but ran toward the two faces he recognized. "Why'd you leave me behind?" he asked, panting as he gripped the rough table with both hands.

Uzar fixed him in a withering glare as he downed a swallow of the liquid in his mug. Wilem slammed an empty bone to his plate and grabbed for his own drink. Both brothers were seated at the end of the table and flanked on the other side with several others of about their same age, who appeared to be quite amused with the appearance of the little newcomer.

"Who's the shrimp?"

"Haha! What's that on his back? A sword?!"

"Looks more like a knife to me!"

"Are you keeping something from us, boys? This your little brother or something?"

Link tried to raise his shaking voice above the laughter and derisive shouts. "Please…"

"Ha! He doesn't look old enough to be away from his nursemaid! Are you fellows looking after him?"

"No, we're not!" Wilem growled. He was on the verge of denying further, for which his brother would have been glad, save for the fact that Dorin would learn of it and give them heck.

Uzar interjected quickly, a dark frown pressing his mouth sourly downward, "Don't bother us, runt."

The green-clad boy dropped his hands and tried not to look so unnerved, for he knew that showing his fear would only make them pick on him more. "But I'm hungry. Dorin said—"

"Does this look like the kitchen to you? Go away and leave us alone."

"But—"

"If you're so hungry, go to the kitchen, then! Maybe they'll give you something if you ask real nice… Heh!"

Wilem guffawed at his brother's words, followed by their companions; he gave Link a shove, sending the boy to the floor. "What a laugh!" he said.

The child scrambled up as a surge of ire burned through him. He seemed to see not the two young men, but a boy around his own age as he balled his fists and cried, "What a disgrace you are! You're nothing but bullies!"

With those words, he turned and bowled away into the crowd of people; he was hardly able to see through the anger and helplessness that blinded him, and he clenched his hands so tightly that his ragged fingernails left little gouges in his palms. It was just like a confrontation with Mido all over again, the mocking, the dismissal, the laughter that felt like claw marks in his ears, and the feeling of sliding further down a slope and knowing he had no power over the situation. He hated this place that he'd come to! It was no different, no better than his home in the forest; here he had no Saria, no Great Deku Tree to give him solace.

"Link. Link!" came the voice near his ear as tiny hands tried to find a grasp on him. "Wait! Wait!"

He came to an abrupt halt only because he solidly collided with someone. Nearly sobbing by this time, he only tried to push himself away; he did not see the person into whom he'd plowed because he was too ashamed to raise his eyes from the floor. A pair of plump hands, scented with herbs, broth and vegetables, grabbed him by the shoulders and only then did he glimpse who was there.

"Where are you going in such a hurry now, boy?"

"I'm so sorry for the trouble…" Navi began as she attempted to dry the stubborn tears.

For a brief second, Link stared up into the soft grey eyes of a stout lady who was mostly covered in the grungy white of an apron. He pressed himself against her, letting his sorrow spill out in a quieter manner.

"There, there, dear. Don't you fret yourself. I saw what happened over there," the woman said soothingly while patting the boy's head and herding him toward the kitchen. "Those young jackanapes think they're all grown up and so important. Makes 'em think they can put everyone else down to make themselves look big. Nothing but kids is what they are."

At the edge of the room, Navi alighted on the boy's shoulder again. "You did the right thing, Link." She sighed imperceptibly. It seemed that ridicule followed the child like an unpleasant scent and she was much saddened to see him so.

He sniffled and tried to hold back the emotions that swelled within him. "They're just like Mido! I'm not a runt. I'm not!"

"What a ridiculous thing," the woman declared, still patting his back with one hand and her other arm around him. "They were no bigger 'n you when they were your age. Just wait 'til you grow up to be a big, strong lad!"

"Grow up…? But I'm already grown. I'm as big as Mido now," a very perplexed Link said, taking a deep breath and swallowing some of his tears. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Of course you'll grow up. Don't worry about it now; you'll have to wait a while. But mark my words, before long you'll be shooting up like so many pig weeds!" she declared, chuckling.

She moved back and looked into his grubby, tear-streaked features. "What are you doing in this place? This isn't the sort of place for young boys to wander." Then, before he could answer she pulled him nearer the stove, where a great pot of wonderfully aromatic stew sat on low heat, promising deliciousness. "You climb up here and tell me. Are you hungry?"

Link immediately nodded. He mounted the tall stool to which she directed him and inhaled the scent of the stew. Absently, he wiped his face with a fist but did nothing to improve its cleanliness; he did not mind in the least that she did not insist that he wash first.

"What is your name, boy?"

He wriggled comfortably on his seat. "Link."

"Here you are then, Link" the friendly cook purred, placing into his hands a comfortably warm bowl. "My name is Yerri. I have t'keep busy at my stove, but you just sit there, eat your supper and tell me how you came here."

He took a taste of her handiwork and grinned; the woman smiled and went about chopping a huge hunk of meat with a very sharp cleaver.

The child slurped a spoonful of potato and squash. "We came with Dorin. He let me drive the wagon for a little while and it was fun!"

"Ah, so you're with Dorin. He's a good man, unlike some of the others in these parts. He usually stays here when he comes to sell things from the village. But why did you come all the way to Castle Town, boy? Where is your mother?"

That term was still new to Link; as he wiped the broth from his mouth and recalled Sarelle. The lady who had been so kind to him was her mother, right? "I don't have a mother. I have Navi though," he said, grinning toward his pale blue companion who sat upon his shoulder.

"Poor, poor child," Yerri clucked, slipping small chunks of meat into another pot. She continued muttering, "There're such a lot of strange things going on. Nothin's been the same since the war ten years ago…"

Having no comprehension about what the woman spoke, Link turned inquiring eyes to his fairy, who whispered into his ear, "I'll explain to you later." He nodded and continued scarfing his meal.

Just then, as another question was about to loll from the tongue of the plump cook, a commotion of heated words sounded from the room beyond. "What the—?!" Yerri groused, wiping her hands against her apron and heading toward the disruption with ire lighting her hazel eyes.

Outside the kitchen was her husband, the keeper of the tavern and especially of the drink, and across from him stood a man she recognized. Behind the latter were two young men with appearances both defiant and guilty.

"Dorin, you know I run a good place here," pleaded the proprietor, by name of Hogar. "I've not seen any little boys and I don't want any trouble here!"

"He came in here. These two were supposed to look after him until I finished the wagons." This earned a scathing glance in the direction of the two fellows who wished to be anywhere else but in that room. "They say they haven't seen the kid either." Dorin lowered his voice dangerously and added, "Now I know someone is lying and I'm not going to let anyone get away with abduction!"

"'Oy, you! Dorin!" Yerri bustled toward them with an identical look in her eyes. She placed both hands on her hips and stared the men down as only she could. "No need to shout the place down! And you'd better put on leash on those two scamps over there. The little boy in green is fine, so stop flexing your muscles. He's in the kitchen and much better off there than in a room full of drunken louts!"

The fierce look dissipated from the eyes of the sandy-haired caravan leader and he dropped his fists. "My thanks to you, Mrs. Hogar. That kid was entrusted in my care and I would be the worst scoundrel to let anything happen to him." He cast a steely gaze to the two young villagers who had denied any knowledge of Link. "And you! I'll deal with you later."

She smiled briefly and with her hands still on her hips, scolded, "Don't start hollerin' the place down again. If your boots aren't covered in muck you can come into my kitchen and see for yourself."

While Uzar and Wilem slunk away like whelps who'd been caught doing something naughty, Dorin followed Yerri to her domain. Link, having filled his tummy, had abandoned his stool and wandered to the far corner of the kitchen. Next to the small stove used for heat in the cold months, nestled on a great assortment of rags and old stuffing was a medium-sized dog and her six puppies. The boy knelt on the floor and began to play with the adorable little creatures who licked his face of both dirt and broth and tumbled about on legs that they were just beginning to figure out how to use properly. He didn't notice anyone approached until the boots were immediately in front of him.

"Hello, Dorin," he said, lifting eyes and a face beaming with more joy than the man had yet seen.

His eyebrows crinkled momentarily in anger and then he unclenched his jaw. "So this is where you've been, kid." His relief at finding the boy quite safe was replaced by embarrassment that he been so concerned. "Why did you not stay in the tavern as I told you?" he demanded gruffly.

"Oh… I-I…" Link stuttered, wondering how he could tell the story while downplaying the shame he felt at the ridicule of the two young men.

Yerri interrupted, "Look I told you before; that den of unruly sots is no place for a child. Unless he wants to go out there again, he is welcome to stay here."

The village man knew when not to push this cook any further. "I suppose that is for the best," he acquiesced. Turning to Link, he added, "Kid, if you need anything, I'll just be in the tavern."

"Okay." The boy nodded.

Once again free of a bothersome man in her domain, Yerri tended to her stew and watched with an unusually soft expression as the boy once more fondled and treated so gently the little puppies. She wondered just what sort of boy he was to take such extreme care of the little ones that their mother offered no resistance. Why was it that she felt like a mother again as she pulled him under the protective wings of her kitchen? From the beet-like appearance of the man who'd tromped away, he likely felt similarly.

Two hours later still saw Yerri bustling about like a plump ant, while Link succumbed to his fatigue at last, nestled between the wall and pups who also slept. The cook sighed and smiled as she noticed his slight snores; she left off ladling bowls of stew to grab a worn-out blanket and drape it over him. Much later she she finally closed the kitchen and her thoughts were centered on getting some sleep.

"Oh my!" she said as she blew out the light. Holding a yet unlit candle in her hand, she moved flawlessly through the dimness. "I forgot you were here, little fairy," she murmured. "I'll just take the young boy up to bed…"

Navi lifted her head and floated up a few feet from her position in checking the bandage on the leg of her charge. "Oh, you might wake him. Could you just leave him here? I will look after him."

The woman appeared dubious. "I'm sure he'll like to sleep in a bed much better, won't he?"

"I think he'll more appreciate the nearness of warm little bodies. Worry not, kind Mrs. Hogar, I will see that no harm comes to him."

Yerri's features, pulled sternly like a tight band, loosened. "I still think a bed would be better, but I suppose I can't really disturb him. Look how peacefully he sleeps, cuddled so near the pups. Well, I'll just tell Dorin so he doesn't raise the roof again."

Thereby, the woman shuffled away and soon mounted the stairs to her shared bedchamber. Link whimpered and tried to nestle closer to his new friends; Navi settled on the green-clad shoulder, whispering soothing words to him.

For the first few moments after he woke early the next morn, the boy only wanted to remain in his snug little cocoon. However, no more than he could forget a fly on his nose could he ignore the bewitching scent and sizzling sounds of bacon, sausages, eggs, and potatoes which Yerri cooked by the dozens, though at the moment the woman was in the tavern with two great platters of breakfast. The puppies were wriggling about and poking him incessantly with their little noses, as if they wanted to play or were curious as to why he yet slept. Conceding to the fruitless battle, he peeled back the blanket that had become twisted about him, rose to a sitting position, and met the deeply purple eyes of his fairy.

"Navi, I had that dream again."

"Do you mean the dream you were having when the Great Deku Tree summoned you?" questioned she, fluttering closer and pushing back the straggly hair from his eyes.

He blinked furiously several times and rubbed the sleep away. "No, not that one… I was standing on a floor but it was shiny and I could see my reflection in it. I think I could see other things that happened in it, but I can't remember what they were. And then I saw blood on the floor and I think it was mine…" He shivered despite the almost stifling atmosphere of the kitchen.

"You say you've had that dream before?"

The boy nodded as he smoothed the ears of two puppies that had crowded themselves into his lap. "Ever since I was little. It was a fun at first, 'cause the floor was like a pond but it was clearer and I could stand on it. When I was six I had it again but everything had changed and it was horrible! Everything around me was dark and evil and I was alone… I couldn't see the floor because there was so much blood!" He trembled more than ever and blinked furiously to keep the tears back.

"Oh, Link… I'm so sorry," she murmured, brushing his forehead and letting her warmth and calm radiance reach him.

"It's never been really scary except that time," he gulped, feeling like such a baby.

"Ho ho! You're awake now!" exclaimed Yerri as she bustled into the room.

Glad for a distraction, the boy rose with arms full of two wrestling pups. "What should I say?" he whispered to his guardian. He felt suddenly shy.

"Just wish her a good morning, same as you would your friends. You might add a 'ma'am' to the end, too."

He moved nearer the hot stove where she worked with sweat already pouring from her brows. "Good morning, m-ma'am," he said, beaming.

She laughed. "Are you ready for breakfast? You'd best go out to Dorin before he gets his… Ahem, you'd better go before he worries about you again."

"Okay," he replied as he attempted to keep one of the small animals from falling from his arms.

"You sure love those pups, don't you?"

He grinned again as he hugged them close.

"You know, I need to find homes for the little fellows soon. Would you like to take one with you?"

The huge eyes of an insect wouldn't have done Link justice as his whole expression opened widely. He drew in his breath rapidly. "Really?!"

The woman also smiled as she single-handedly flipped the pancakes on her griddle with the speed of an octopus. "Sure. You pick the one you like best and he's yours."

Navi knew he'd want to take them all back to the forest if he could. She hated what she was about to do as she brushed against his ear. "Link, can we really take a puppy on journey like this?"

The smile vanished and his eyes lost their childishly happy light. "Oh. Oh…" was all he could mutter.

"Go on, now!" the cook ordered, unaware of the little crisis that tore him apart. "I set a plate at the table for you. You go eat it before it gets cold!"

He let the little ones return to their mother. Grabbing his satchel he escaped the kitchen and located Dorin in the next room, which was considerably emptier than it had been several hours previous.

"Hey, kid!" the sandy-headed man called. As soon as Link drew close, he clapped the boy on the back and all but bellowed, "Are you ready to help sell all the stuff we brought?"

But the child only stared rather blankly at the plate of food before him, toying with a fork missing one of its tines.

Dorin also frowned. "Kid, I'm sorry about the way Uzar and Wilem treated you. Whenever we come to town, those two try to act like men and only show themselves as little boys. It will not happen again."

His brow furrowed still further when the child made no reply.

"Link, he's speaking to you!" Navi hissed into his ear, her tone carrying a hint of annoyance but no malice whatsoever.

The boy shook himself visibly. "Sorry, Dorin."

"Is something the matter, kid? You look kinda down."

Link attempted to attend to his breakfast despite the lopsided fork. "O-oh, i-it's nothing," he muttered.

"Cheer up," his fairy said, moving from beside his ear to the rough table near his plate. "Is there someone else you could give the puppy to instead?"

The motions of swirling the eggs and bacon around his plate ceased as he stared at his tiny companion. "I wish I could give one to Saria…she would love them." His dour expression lifted as he added, "But maybe Sarelle would like one, do you think, Navi? Oh, I bet she would!"

The fairy's own face softened slightly and she gestured in the affirmative. "I'm sure she would love a darling little puppy. You should ask Dorin about it."

Link did just that, an idea with which the caravan leader was quite willing to cooperate. Within the space of ten minutes, they had worked it all out with Yerri. The pups were too young to be separated from their mother, but the next time Dorin traveled to Castle Town he would carry back the brown and yellow creature the boy selected. As soon as the matter was settled, Link followed caravan leader and the others as they brought their merchandise to a street already filled with the cries of hawkers.

No longer tucked away in Yerri's snug kitchen, the sights, sounds and smells once more snagged the little hero's attention. The great numbers of people who shouted, peddled, and bustled everywhere and pressed at them from nearly every side was astounding to the boy. After existing for ten years under the serene gaze of the Deku Tree, he was completely unprepared for the seemingly tumultuous confusion that surrounded him. He felt very small and a little homesick as he craned his neck, gawping at the houses that stretched over his head and neatly snipped from view great portions of the sky; while the sight was not unlike the towering trees which he'd grown to so love, the whole effect had not the elegance of the woods' stately beauty.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" shouted a much irritated Uzar as the green-clad boy collided with him. Under his breath he muttered something not fit for the ears of an innocent child.

The men were already pulling things from the wagon and beckoning to passersby. In a spare moment Dorin took a stained pail in hand and moved toward Link.

"Hey, kid!" he hollered over the din. He shoved a splayed paintbrush into his hands and set the lidded container at their feet. "I want you to paint this here plank with 'Faron.' Got it?"

"Um…okay…"

No sooner than speaking, Dorin was again some distance away, haggling with a customer over a saddle and bags. Link removed the lid from the container and deliberated for some moments, biting his lip. Hesitantly, he dipped the brush into the red liquid and plied it to the old and cracked wood. Navi carefully regarded his painstaking process in creating a very sad, lopsided "F", followed by five more letters that could have just as easily been the work of a six-year-old. After each laborious effort he glanced up and was only slightly relieved that everyone seemed too busy to watch him.

Finishing at last, the child set the brush back into the bucket and wondered if there was something else he could paint, something that did not require him to create letters. Suddenly he grinned and removed the shield of deku bark from his back. He glanced to Dorin and the other village men, who gave him not so much as a sidelong glance as they bartered or sold their goods away. Taking the paintbrush in hand once more, he took from his satchel the Deku Tree's emerald and began painting its symbol on the outside of the bark.

"What do you think?" he inquired of his guardian, holding it aloft.

She paused for some seconds as she contemplated his work, which was considerably better than that which preceded it. "It is a fitting reminder of both the Great Deku Tree and the task to which he set us," she said, quite soberly.

Link returned the shining green gem to his pack, into which Yerri had secreted four honey buns wrapped in a thin cloth. He contemplated with darkly serious eyes the drying emblem on his shield. Swallowing visibly, he clutched at the edges of the surprisingly sturdy bark.

"Where is the castle, Navi?"

"It is to the north, but we won't be allowed to just walk in and see the princess."

The boy assumed quite a determined look. "I can sneak in. I'm good at that!"

"We'd be better off finding another way," returned the fairy, keeping her mouth from betraying too much of her mirth. "And we'll have to go there first."

As he returned the shield to his back, his brows furrowed and his mouth became a concentrated frown. "How do we do that?"

"Hey, kid!" roared Dorin over the noise of the crowd. "Didja finish the sign? Bring it over here!"

Link jolted at the sound of his voice and only just avoided upsetting what remained of the paint. He grabbed the sign carelessly, earning himself a few splinters that Navi would help him pick out later, and trotted awkwardly to the caravan leader.

Dorin inspected the sign in a split second while he waited for a customer to fish out his purse. "Kid, what is that supposed to be?"

"It says 'Farron'," the boy replied, nervously avoiding looking at his sloppy letters.

"Only one 'r' in Faron, kid," he groused, leaving off any mention of the horrible formation. "It'll have to do, though."

He grabbed the worn panel, took two nails and boarded it to the side of the wagon behind him, whereupon he returned to the advertising of his village's wares. Every time someone noticed the sign Link colored and balled his hands. He caught occasional sneering glances from Uzar and Wilem; only one thing he could be glad about was that Mido wasn't also present. Oh, he wished he'd better attended to the lessons Saria had provided for him.

Navi, naturally noticing his embarrassment, whispered in his ear. "We'll have to work on your writing, won't we? Don't worry, I'll help you."

"Okay," he mumbled, letting his lower lip stick out.

What was he going to do? Reminding himself of the urgent mission from his dead father made him antsy to proceed. He watched the people in the crowd absently, quietly going over mostly ridiculous ways by which he could gain the castle and the presence of the princess. He noticed a pretty little girl who approached with a dark-haired, stout man who reminded Link of one of the bears in the forest. With her red hair, clear, dark blue eyes and brilliant smile, the girl seemed distinct from the others he saw; he was especially interested by her hair, as no forest children could boast of such color.

"Is she…the princess?" he questioned, turning his head in the general direction of his fairy, but without taking his eyes from the girl.

"Hee hee! I'm not the princess. Why do you think that?"

"Y-you're pretty enough to be one," mumbled he, but amid the others noise she didn't catch his words.

"I've seen the princess and she has yellow hair so I don't even look like her," the newcomer informed him, drawing closer. Her fascinated eyes drawn to the tiny being who floated around Link's head. "Is that a fairy?"

The green-clad boy nodded and then grinned. "She is my guardian fairy. Everyone in the forest where I come from has one," he revealed to her proudly.

"Oh, so you're from the forest? That's great!" She clasped her hands and grinned. "My name is Malon and I live on a ranch with horses and cows and cuccos and goats and all sorts of animals. I came to the city with my dad to sell milk. You'll have to taste it; it's the creamiest, best tasting milk in all of Hyrule! What's your name?"

Link told her.

"Well I'm going to call you fairy boy," the girl giggled. "Because you have that pretty little fairy with you."

He wrinkled his face but at the same time he was thinking that he wouldn't mind it so much. Navi floated near his ear and whispered. The boy listened, nodded twice and turned to his new acquaintance.

"Do you know how to get to the castle?"

She swayed back and forth a little, beaming. "Yes, I know where it is. Dad and me are going there to deliver some milk. Do you want to come along?"

The little fellow nodded emphatically.

Malon briefly turned her eyes to her father; he was still locked in discussion with Dorin. Facing the boy again, she put both hands behind her back and tilted her head. "Why? Are you going to try to see the princess?"

"I promised the Great Deku Tree. He told me it was very important."

"Ooh, that sounds exciting," she said, bobbing her head a bit. Link wondered if she moved so because she always had music flowing through her mind. "But people don't get to see the princess just because they want to. You'd have to ask for an audience, or whatever that's called."

"Oh…" he muttered with suddenly fallen expression. "Isn't there some other way?"

"I guess you could try to sneak in, but the guards would probably catch you."

"Guards?" he asked, trying to puzzle together the scattered images in his brain with the right one that fit the word. She wasn't talking about guarding his treasures from Mido, nor of the Deku Tree, guardian of the forest.

Swaying slightly again, she smiled thoughtfully with a hint of mischievousness lighting her bright eyes. "You know, maybe there is a way you could get past them. Here's what I'll do…"

She leaned closer and cupped her hands against his ear. Her excited, whispering breaths tickled him and gave him the urge to scratch the side of his head.

"Malon, honey, come on," called the rather rotund man she had identified as her father.

The girl finished outlining her plan in another sentence. "Coming!" she shouted back. Grabbing Link's be-splintered left hand, she drew him with her. "Fairy boy, come on!"

"Did you find a little something nice to buy?" the rancher asked, gazing quite fondly at his daughter.

"No, instead I found a new friend, Dad! This is Link and he wants to go to the castle with us."

The man smiled indolently. "Well, how do ya do, young man? I am Talon. I run Lon Lon Ranch outside Castle Town."

"H-hello, Mr. Talon," Link stuttered, sticking his fingers under his belt and squeezing nervously. "Um… Is it all right if I come with you?"

"'Course it is. Anything my little girl asks I can't deny her."

Malon's cheeks bloomed and her eyes flared with indomitable spirit. "Stop it, Dad! We need to hurry to the castle now. They're waiting for our milk!"

"Right you are, right you are, my dear. Well now, are you ready Link?"

Navi once more spoke into the ear of the boy clad in green. "We should say farewell to Dorin, don't you think? He'll be worried if we don't tell him where we're going."

"Okay."

The child marched to Dorin, who at the moment was unoccupied but held a couple of bridles in his thick hand as he watched the conversation. Suddenly Link felt so tongue-tied that he forgot every single word he was going to say, stammered, and kicked his foot in the dust.

"You're off now eh, kid?" Dorin questioned, his brows lowering over his dark eyes.

"Yeah," he managed at last. "I-I'm going to the castle."

Dorin looked so fierce and stern that he would have scared the boy had he not know the man for those eventful forty-eight hours which seemed so much longer. "You take care of yourself you hear me, kid? And if you're ever in our area again, I'll tan you if you don't come see us."

Link jerked his gaze up and noticed for the first time that though the man's expression was scowling, he had the saddest eyes imaginable. "O-okay, I will," he promised. "Will you take the puppy to Sarelle?"

"Aye. You have my word."

"Goodbye, Dorin… I'm sorry ab-bout the sign."

"Get on with you, kid!"

The boy's own eyes widened like a fish's and he bore the look of a severely scolded pup. He stared at the sandy-haired villager for a moment more, then dropped his gaze, turned and shuffled to the little hooded cart by which Malon waited. She removed a somewhat browned piece of apple from her pocket; as the chestnut colored mare chomped on the treat, the girl caressed her nose. In the driver's seat was Talon, holding the reins in the loosest manner imaginable; his head had fallen to his chest and his eyes invisible behind their lids.

"Walk by me, fairy boy," she requested, reaching up and taking hold of the cheek piece.

Silently, he fell in step beside her, his eyes seeing everything but not registering any of it. Navi landed on his shoulder and whispered, "You know he only spoke so because he knew how much he is going to miss you, right?"

Link inhaled deeply and let it go. "He wasn't really angry?"

"I'm sure. I could sense the regret in his soul."

He sighed again and turned briefly for a final look at Dorin. The other people impeded his view to the point where he could only glimpse the sandy head. Under his breath he uttered his farewell once more and turned back, set his mouth grimly and stared straight ahead.

"Good girl, Mossie," came Malon's voice from his side. She stroked the mare's side as they wound haltingly through the bethronged streets.

By the time they made their way from the sprawling marketplace, the boy felt like his ears were ringing from the much lessened amount of noise. He glanced about often in an unsuccessful attempt to keep his bearings but they took too many turns along too many avenues and alleys to keep a comprehensible map in his head.

"Do you know the way to the castle?" he inquired quickly, absently as he counted and tried to finger trace the path they'd taken.

She glanced at him for a moment after skirting around another cart slower moving than theirs. "We know it well. I always come with Dad to deliver our milk."

For about the third time he glanced to his right and noted how she held the bridle. "Do you always take that mule, too?" he asked, gesturing to the animal.

Malon stopped suddenly; her father jerked upright and clutched at the reins. "Huh?! What? What happened?"

The girl's eyes lit up with indignation as she glowered at the forest child. "She's not a mule! She's a horse! She is sleeker and gentler and has nicer ears than any mule!"

"Sorry," he mumbled, having fallen about a foot behind her. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I've only seen mules before, so I thought…"

Her ire softened by a few degrees. "You don't really know much do you?"

Cautiously he said, "I've heard of horses before but I never knew what they looked like. There aren't any of them in the forest."

"Well, okay… But you know the difference now, right?"

The boy nodded immediately and caught up to her once more.

"I haven't anything against mules, really. We have a few of them at the ranch too and they're good workers, but I love horses best." She began leading the mare again. "What animals do you have, then?"

"We raise goats. My friend Saria taught me how to milk them."

Talon settled back into the seat with a lazy grin on his face. "Just like her mother…" he muttered.

"Ooh, really?" Malon chattered happily. "We have goats too; they're gray, sometimes with little white splotches. We only have about ten of them, though, and we've got a lot more cows. Oh, and Dad let me have a beautiful little filly. Her name is Epona. I've taken care of her since she was born, you know. You'd love her!"

"Why do you hold onto the…horse's head like that? Isn't that what the reins are for?" He felt a little proud that at least he knew the purpose of reins.

"I could, but we have to move slowly in the streets anyway. I like to be close to Mossie and it makes her less skittish."

Link hesitated for a mere moment before asking, "Do you suppose I could do that too?"

"Hmm…" she mused, glancing at him and his earnest expression. "Okay. Just go to her other side and grab the cheek strap like this." She noticed with a small spot of envy that he hadn't the need to reach up quite as far as she did.

He stepped ahead of the mare and did as his new friend instructed. He patted her tentatively and murmured, "Hello, girl."

Mossie nickered, causing the little red-head to grin. "She likes you," she informed the boy. "I think you'd like our ranch too. Won't you come visit us some time?"

"Uh-huh," he replied, stroking the horse more eagerly.

The buildings they passed were gradually looking finer, more expensive and spaced further apart than the last, until the land opened up to what seemed to be a huge, ornate garden. A line of trees bordered one side of the road and from the other stately flowers waved sedately at them. Link breathed a small sigh of relief as he beamed and drank in the open sky, the trees and all the flowers and shrubs he knew Saria would love. What caught his attention most, however, was the towering, gleaming white structure of which he'd previously only caught a glimpse or two.

He drew in his air quite suddenly. "Wow! It's huge," he breathed. He had no need to inquire as to it being their destination. He could not even being to imagine how anyone could build something so gigantic. It was nothing like the trees he knew so well, much less the Great Deku Tree himself, but he had to admit that he liked how the towers tapered to small sharp points that seemed to pierce the sky.

Malon turned her head slightly. "Dad, we're almost there."

"Yup, m'dear. We're here…" her father muttered without even opening his eyes.

"Is he really sleeping?" Link inquired quietly, ducking his head below the horse's so he could glimpse her.

"Yeah," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "He sleeps just about anywhere. I wish he'd just sleep at night like he's supposed to…"

Her face was sadder than the boy had yet seen it and he seemed to know instinctively that it did not fit her. He wondered what troubled her, but before he could ask they arrived at a gigantic gate. Two guards stood at either side.

"Hey, Talon! Here to deliver milk, eh?" called one of those armored men.

The rancher snorted and mumbled something intelligible.

"Hello, sir," Malon greeted them cheerily.

"Who's the boy?" the man challenged, gesturing and noting the small blade on the child's back.

"Oh, he's my friend. He wanted to come along for our delivery," she replied nonchalantly. "He'll protect us if we're attacked by bandits."

"I see," he said, scratching his stubble and hiding his sudden mirth behind his hand. "You make sure you don't cause any trouble. The captain had to increase our patrols because some idiot from town tried to sneak into the castle.

Link gulped and stared at the ground. Meanwhile, the other guard went around to the rear of the vehicle and checked the back. Satisfied, they returned to their posts and swung the heavy gate open.

"There you are, girly. You know where to go."

"Yes. Thank you!" she returned and urged Mossie onward. "We're almost there, fairy boy!"

As Talon slowly became more aware, they continued on the road which sloped ever so slightly upwards, curved around, and then ran parallel to a grassy embankment. At the top of the little hill was a high spiked wall which came to an end when it reached a natural rock formation that stretched around the western side of the castle. Rather than going to the front gate where the courtiers and statesmen entered, they approached a portal off to the side. The two soldiers standing solidly centered in at the open gateway hailed the cart and upon recognizing the contents waved them through rather disinterestedly.

Once on the other side, Malon lowered her voice conspiratorially. "You remember what you're going to do, fairy boy?"

"Huh?" Link started, forcing his eyes from the heights which so fascinated him. "Oh, yeah, I remember."

They wound around the right side of the castle, seeing quite a number of guards on horseback or foot, with great swords or no, and all wearing the same chainmail and silvery armor with a heaven-facing bird emblazoned thereon. The passed the regimental quarters where, Malon explained to the boy, lived all the soldiers who guarded both town and castle. Some of these were engaged in training while under the watchful eye of another man whose armor shone gold in the bright sunlight, while others watched the happenings with shouts, jeers and cat calls.

Beyond that, the rough road led them to what seemed a dead end in the walled-in, stone courtyard which led off from the immense castle kitchens. Several other wagons and such were parked at intervals outside some of the doorways and people were either unloading produce or live animals, or loading refuse to be taken away. Castle servants bustled to and fro on varied missions. Malon guided the mare near one of the doors, from which scurried a skinny man wearing a huge apron and a strange hat shaped like a mushroom.

"Ah, you have brought my milk!" he cried, delight filling his little eyes. "Bless you, child!"

At his direction, a couple of brawny pages hustled over and began remove the contents of the vehicle. Talon merely sat slumped in the seat mumbling something about needing more milk bottles, while his daughter hurried around the side and bossed the workers like they were no older than her.

"Be careful with that!" she cautioned them.

The thin chef also monitored the process. "Don't spill it! If a drop of that precious liquid is wasted, I'll see its worth is taken from your wages!"

Link watched the unloading, taking frequent glances to his surroundings and waiting for his chance. "It's really busy here, isn't it Navi?"

"It is indeed," she replied. "It's almost as busy as the marketplace." She too glanced around. "Do you see that little door in the wall over there, Link? That must be the one Malon told us about. The castle courtyards lie behind it and it only has that one soldier guarding it."

He nodded and again glanced to the red-headed girl. She was nearly finished overseeing the removal of the milk, so he had to be ready. He made sure he had a firm grip on his satchel and eyeballed the many persons who passed by; none of them took notice of the young boy and his fairy.

"Ah! My cuccos!" came Malon's cry. "They're escaping! Catch them! Someone help me!"

The youths carrying the last of the milk set down their burdens, as did several other servants nearby, and ran after the fowl. Even the guards in the immediate area joined in the frantic chase. Link started as the hubbub began, quickly recovered himself and darted for the door which his guardian had so carefully pointed out. As quickly as falling from a tree, he pulled at the door's latch and slipped inside, sure that with the commotion no one had noticed him.

What surprised him was the utter darkness of the place in which he found himself. He shuffled forward some steps and tripped on some tools, presumably for gardening. Navi flew ahead, her glow intensifying until the boy could identify the room; it was rectangular, the walls lined with shelves, and hung with implements, with still more leaning against it. A few of these Link had upset and upon realizing his mistake, he quickly bent to set them right. At the other end was another door to which he made a beeline.

Emerging in the daylight once more, Link squinted at his surroundings. Before him was a kitchen garden which seemed at first scrutiny to be orderly, but at the second he realized that everything had been planted in quite a crazy, mixed-up fashion. He glanced about, but fortunately no one was about at the moment; either they were busy in the kitchens or in the outer courtyard. At about ten thousand square feet, the garden was the shape a triangle with one of the points cut off. He had entered at one of those shorter sides; directly to his left, on the longest side of the garden were some doorways from which he kept a considerable distance.

"Those probably lead to the kitchens," Navi guessed.

Not wishing to linger and risk being caught, the boy hastened onward, locating a door which led he knew not where. Entering it left him in a corridor which resonated with the comparative silence of castle.

Link gulped. "Where do I go now?" he requested desperately, not knowing which way and wishing to go neither.

"I don't know," the fairy admitted regretfully. Hastily she floated near one of the many open apertures that lined the other side of the corridor. "Oh, do come take a look at this, Link."

He hoisted himself up on the rough stone and peered out. Just a few feet below was another courtyard, except this one was made up of impeccably trimmed hedges, a few scattered statues of important-looking people, and a fountain which threw its water in great misty armfuls. Without pausing to consider possible consequences, Link scrabbled to the top of the window ledge and dropped down. Within moment he was ducking behind some shrubbery as a pair of guards marched past and disappeared inside.

The boy's heart was pounding, the blood roaring in his ears. "Phew…" he breathed.

Very slowly he rose from his hiding place, his eyes darting about for anything that moved. His jumping nerves assuaged that no one was around, he proceeded once more. Passing by the fountain, he blinked as the mist lit upon his eyebrows, and briefly did he peek into the immaculate stone base. The centerpiece was a lovely lady draped in lose robes, smiling and extending her arms as all around her the water spouted.

"That is a depiction of a water fairy," his companion said. "She's beautiful."

Beyond the fountain, Link slipped furtively from hedge to hedge, hoping he would not be caught and he would be successful in locating the princess. The courtyard, shaped like a slice of melon, had windows and doorways peering out at intervals on either side. Still jumpy and yet and spotting no one, he reached the other end of the space, where he stopped and peered about him again. Before him was archway of white stone and a short dark corridor, at the end of which he glimpsed more lush green grass the brilliant hues of flowers neatly planted in beds. As he prepared to step into the passageway, a gauntleted hand suddenly clamped itself to his shoulder.

"What's a young urchin like you doing here?!" a deep voice demanded.


	9. Searching for Destiny

His satchel falling to the ground, Link yelped in fright and turned his head slightly in a split second attempt to identify the man at the other end of that hand. "L-let me go!" he squeaked as he tried to squirm away from the iron-like grasp.

"You're going nowhere," growled the voice. "Did you honestly think you could sneak in here without me or my men noticing, that the king's visitors would keep us busy?"

In those first few moments of panic the boy was terrified that he'd been found by the same evil sorcerer who murdered the Deku Tree, but as the man spun him around he glimpsed chainmail and golden armor. His heart palpitated again when his eyes rose to a fiercely glowering face framed with a golden helm from which several warm-colored plumes flowed. The breadth of the man's left eyebrow was marked through with an old scar; his eyes were twin pools of stormy grey-green, their depths unfathomable. Another twisted line, barely visible beneath his helmet, ran from just above his red-brown beard to his left ear. The rest of his features had seen much of the sun and weather; his forehead and mouth were lined with wrinkles.

"Please, we've only come to see the princess," Navi besought him. "We mean no harm!"

"A likely story indeed! You'll have time to repent of your foolish decision in the dungeon!"

"No!" Link cried; though he knew not the meaning of that place, he knew it would have a detrimental effect on his quest.

The knight's hold on the shoulder of the green-clad boy dug tighter as he began to haul him away. Link grimaced and cried out again under the crushing grip. His struggles were all in vain and he wished desperately that he could reach his sword, though judging by the great sheathed blade hanging from the man's belt, any fight he put up would just as effortlessly be quashed.

"Wait! Captain, hold!" echoed a new voice, a bit deeper than most women's but not enough to be a man's.

The knight abruptly turned, forcing Link to move with him; the child's squirming lessened as he waited for an opportunity to escape, or for the slim chance that he might be set free. They faced the courtyard which the boy had been about to enter, whence now came a shadowed shape. Arriving in the light revealed her to be a white-haired female wearing loose breeches and thin leather boots that seemed to be melded to her feet. The armor covering her torso depicted a sorrowful eye and from her own eyes streamed markings that looked remarkably like flowing tears. She was nearly half a foot shorter than the man before her.

As she neared them, Link trembled more than ever. Between the irate knight captain and this warrior woman who carried herself so powerfully, what was going to happen to him? Navi floated next to him, one tiny hand protectively on the hair of his head.

"Lady Impa." The man inclined his head and tempered his tone to be less severe toward her.

"Captain, please leave this boy with me. I will see to it that he causes no trouble."

His brows furrowed as he glanced at the spooked little fellow who still struggled slightly under his grasp. "I cannot allow strange children to wander in here with hopes to see the princess! There is no telling what sort of mischief he's planning!"

"I assure you there is no danger to her highness. She herself is expecting the boy," she replied, her own voice calm as a woodland pool.

Conflict raged behind the captain's eyes as he contemplated the duty to which he adhered steadfastly and deviated not, versus the simple request from the woman who was the personal attendant and bodyguard to the heir apparent. Within mere seconds he made his decision.

"As my lady desires," said he, releasing his captive. With a stiff bow, the knight pivoted on his heel and strode quickly away, his armor and mail chinking minutely as he did.

Link stared at the ground, rubbing his shoulder and shaking as he wondered apprehensively what next lay before him. He snatched up his pack again and held it to his chest. If he had to, perhaps he could make a dash for it. However, what he did not expect was for the woman to lift his chin with thin, well-callused fingers.

"You are from the forest aren't you, boy," she declared, her tone without emotion or question.

"Y-e-es," he answered, gulping as he was forced to gaze into eyes the color of blood. It was as if she was staring into his soul and could see everything he'd ever done that had shamed him.

"You need not be afraid. The princess foretold your arrival and has been expecting you."

He let his breath escape all in a rush and his expression melted into one of amazement. "She…knew I was coming?"

"She has had many dreams which would make a grown man tremble." She lowered her hand. "From them she knows an evil man in black armor plots to steal Hyrule's greatest treasure for himself."

The boy's clenched his jaw, a hard look coming to his serene blue eyes. "That man… He's the one who killed the Great Deku Tree!"

She nodded grimly. "It is only the beginning of the terror and chaos that will ensue if he succeeds. Will you speak with the princess and hear her story?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed earnestly. "Where is she?"

"You must find her." Impa's seemingly imperturbable countenance shifted as she drew in her brows and lowered the corners of her mouth. "She was most anxious for you to arrive. I have just found that she has sneaked her way out of the castle; I am sure she has gone to look for you in town."

"Is she in any danger?" Navi queried as she fluttered, almost nervously, around the head of her charge.

"She has slipped off before and I'm afraid she knows how to disguise herself. She will not be easily recognized by the townsfolk." The woman tapped her fingers against her elbow. "Can I entrust you with the task of finding her?"

Link stared at her for a second; he nodded, slowly at first and then rapidly.

"Good lad. Now, come with me and I will show you the way out of the castle."

He had to hustle to keep up with her broad steps, following her inside the great edifice, through a maze of corridors which he could only wonder how anyone remembered all of them, and to a small door that let out near the western side of the palace. He studied his surroundings carefully and breathed a little sigh of relief when he determined the captain of the guard was nowhere in sight. As he began trotting away, throwing his satchel to his back once more, he only faced toward the town and noticed not that Impa didn't enter the castle again.

As soon as the gates were behind him he broke into a sprint, enjoying the air rushing in his face and soon feeling hot and sweaty under the early afternoon sun. He poked into his pack and remembered that his flask was empty; once more amongst the houses of Castle Town he began searching for a fountain. Navi aided him in the process, as she had a much better memory for the roads which were so like the myriad tunnels of an anthill.

"There's one!" she cried happily.

She trailed behind him as Link rushed toward the sight of water, scrambled to the edge of the fountain and leaned so far forward that he almost fell in, lapping the water as if he were one of the puppies he so loved. By the time he'd had his fill the front of his tunic was wet and his cap had fallen into the font. Laughingly he plucked it up, fit it back on his head and wiped at the water that dripped from his chin. Seating himself on the side of the fountain, he swung his legs and stared around at the elegant houses, the tiny trees that grew on one side of the road, and at the people who either hurried or strolled past.

"Where should we go, Navi?"

The fairy crystalized several droplets of water and alighted on each one with skipping motions. "We'll just have to start looking, I think. This place is much bigger than you are used to, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he replied, a disagreeable little scowl coming to his features. "I'd get lost by myself!"

"I'll make sure we don't get lost, okay?" she said, perching herself on one particularly large drop of water. "Now, where do you think she would go? She is looking for you and she probably knows some of the fun places to go."

A few of the people who passed nearby gave him offhand or curious and sometimes snooty looks; he just stared right back. He saw another child who sported one of those strange devices worn over the face and again he wondered about its purpose. He liked this part of town, as it was quieter and actually had a few green growing things, but on the other hand he felt a perhaps unaccountable affinity for the bustle of the marketplace. While he held little fondness for the bedlam therein, the place was filled with more things to look at, more scents than he could even have imagined in one place, and such diverse people. It was hard to imagine how they all fit into the one town.

"What about the market? Maybe she'd go there! Lots of people are there."

"That's a good place to start," the fairy agreed. She let the drops she been playing with fall back into the fountain and she took to the air.

Link jumped from his perch. "Will you lead the way?" he asked, hopefully plying his fingers together as he gazed up at her.

"Of course," she replied, bouncing in the air. "What are you doing now?"

He leaned into the font again, dipped his hat and let the deliciously cool water trickle down through his hair after he returned it to his head. He grinned. "Ah, that feels good!"

"Okay, are you ready now?"

"Yep."

He trotted after her, bearing a little smile that grew as they neared the streets filled with vendors and their wares. As they neared it the boy could distinguish the ruckus above the other sounds of the city; he bolted ahead, no longer in need of a guide. He did make one wrong turn into an alley but he quickly found his way again to the bustling boulevard. As the noise of the market engulfed him completely, he scurried along as quickly as the crowd would allow, his eyes brightly alert.

"There's a little girl," the guardian said, pointing to a blonde who held a basket of flowers on each arm.

Link replied not, his eyes scanning the area and his steps brisk. Navi pointed out several others, some of whom didn't fit Malon's description of the princess in the slightest, but the boy hardly paid any attention to her and even less to the girls.

They traveled through the whole length of the market and then back again, and Link's expression deteriorated greatly by the time they returned to their starting point, having found no sign of any young females whom Navi could sense to be royalty. The green-clad child kicked at a box that someone had left sitting out, at an empty bottle and then at the air itself. A woman passing by directed an annoyed glance his way.

"He's not here…" he muttered.

But the tiny being had heard him anyway. "Who?"

"Dorin," he muttered, giving a particularly vicious kick to a broken brick. "Ow!" He immediately plopped onto the discarded crate and grabbed his foot.

"I'm sorry, Link. They must have finished selling everything and they've probably begun the journey back to the village by now."

"I only wanted to see him again…"

"I know, Link, and I'm sorry. I know it's sad to say goodbye, but all we can hope is that we will have the chance to see each other again." She hovered near his ear so he could better hear through the noise. "It is important that we do not forget our mission. We must find the princess."

He folded his arms firmly across his chest and let his lower lip protrude. "I'm hungry," he announced.

Jumping to his feet, he spared no glance for his fairy, nor a chance for her to utter another word as he stalked from stall to stall. Some of the things set out for display were as appetizing as raw fish, such as vegetables with the dirt still clinging to them, freshly butchered meat that still oozed blood, and some little wriggling things in a basket. Then he spotted a perfectly stacked pile of apples and stretched forth his hand to take one.

"Link, you can't—"

A freckled hand descended upon his, delivering a stinging blow. "You'll have to pay for that first, you little scamp!"

The boy snatched back his smarting fingers as quickly as if Gohma had snapped at them. His mouth hanging agape and his eyes so wide and watery that it looked like he could cry any moment, he stared at the woman beside the tiny farmer's stall.

"Little thief! Do you have the money for that?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him. "Apples cost five rupees!"

"M-money? What's that?

"I thought not. Why do all you kids try to steal from my stall?!" she demanded, advancing a step closer to the boy. "Now begone with you before I have a guard haul you to prison!"

His head lowered and his satchel hanging limply at the crook of his arm, he retreated swiftly. The noise of the market was somewhat cut-off in the seedy alley to which he ran, but he wished he were much further from it. His limbs shook as he wrapped his arms about himself as he stared with unfocused eyes on the filth and grime that obscured his view of the cobbles.

"…I want to go home," he whispered.

Navi landed on his shoulder and pressed herself against his neck, reaching up to stroke his long ear. "Link, it's going to be okay."

"Hey, you there!" came the obnoxious shout of a new voice. "You have some nerve! Trying to muscle in on our territory!"

The little fellow's eyes narrowed and he spun and saw a group of raggedy children forming a little half circle around him. A greater number of them were boys, the biggest of whom stood in front of the band; the few girls who were present each held the hand of a much younger child. One of those little tykes, hardly more than two years, sucked her thumb and peeked from behind the eldest boy with adorable, dark eyes.

"I'm… I'm not doing anything!" Link exclaimed, trying to piece himself together so he wouldn't be an easy target for them.

"Don't be stupid! We saw you try to get food from that farmer lady! This is our turf and you can't beg or steal anything here!"

"Says who?" the forest boy retorted with a frown.

"I say so," the eldest ragamuffin declared, stepping nearer, his own eyes burning with self-righteous fire and a most determined expression on his face. "We know how to deal with outsiders, you know."

Pulling at the boy's arm was a girl with long, pale blonde hair that would have been beautiful if she had a proper way to comb or wash it. "Race, we don't have to resort to that yet. Give him a chance to clear out. As long as he does we'll be fine."

"Hmph. Fine. You hear that, green guy? Get out of here and don't try anything like that again. This is our turf!"

Link kept his position, his stomach growling as he glowered at the other boy. "Y-you…!" He wracked his brains for a suitably nasty remark to hurl. "No-fairies! Scallions!"

"What?!" Race exclaimed, raising a tightly clenched fist.

"Link, stop that!" the fairy commanded, her voice shrill in the ear at which she yanked with strength that belied her tiny form. "This is no time for senseless fighting! Come away right now, do you hear me?!"

"Ow, ow, owwwww!" he whined. "Stop pulling, Navi!"

Thusly obliged to cease the hostility, the green-clad child still dragged his feet as he stumbled in the direction his guardian wished him to go. When they were quite out of sight of the town's children, she took her hands from his ear and planted herself squarely in front of his face. With tiny hands at her hips, she leaned the top half of her body forward.

"Would you mind telling me what you were trying to accomplish back there?!"

"They were being mean…" replied he, the sulkiest expression imaginable consuming his features.

"That is not the point! We have a task to perform, or have you forgotten?"

"But… I only wanted some food. I'm hungry…" he whimpered. Two big tears slid down either side of his nose.

The fairy's own stern features softened. "Oh, Link…" she murmured, brushing against his cheek.

He sniffled and wiped at his eyes with the backs of grimy hands. "…I don't like this place…"

Navi continued with the gentle stroking motions until he had calmed down. "I'm sorry I didn't explain more to you before. I know this is very different from what you're used to. In this world you cannot just take whatever food you want. You have to pay for it."

"Pay? With that money stuff?"

"Yes, that's right. It may be hard to grasp, but I'll give you an example. You told me of a trade that Saria made with a Deku scrub, right? And she traded something valuable to get your hat back?"

Link nodded, inhaling a shaky breath.

"That is called barter. She traded one good for another, in this case, your missing hat. In the rest of the world people will trade such goods, or valuables, in return for other goods. Does that make sense so far?" She paused until receiving his affirmation. "Good. Now, what if someone wanted to trade for something but he doesn't have anything the other party wants? That's where money comes in. Money is something of universal value that you can trade for food or tools, or a horse or a great many other things. If you tried to trade Saria's special rocks here I doubt anyone would want them, but with money you could easily buy yourself some food. Do you understand, Link?

"I…think so," he replied, one hand to his chin as he deeply contemplated that new information. "How do I get some?"

"Ah yes, that is the next part. It is possible to earn money through work, or by selling something of value. I'm sure you've noticed how many different items are on display in the market. Farmers work hard to grow the food that they sell. Blacksmiths spend hours at the forge creating weapons and tools. Dorin and the other villagers of Faron created their wares from leather and other resources at their disposal. Did you notice how they exchanged colored gems for their goods?"

"Oh yeah!" he exclaimed, recalling to mind those actions that hadn't made any sense at the time. But his face fell again as he realized a large problem. "But I don't have anything to sell."

"We'd best go back to the market. First, you're going to have to apologize to the farmer lady. Look, Link. Don't make a face like that. She deserves an explanation before you can expect to ask her if there's any way you can help her out in exchange for money or food itself."

He exhaled in quite the exaggerated manner and gazed at his fairy as if he wanted to ask her whether he had to do it, but then his stomach growled. He sighed again and began traipsing out of the back alley, keeping a sharp lookout for the group of orphans. Clutching so tightly to his pack that his knuckles paled, his steps faltered as he entered the marketplace; he pressed his lips firmly together as he sought the farmer's stall with the hope that the woman might have finished selling her produce for the day.

"What are you doing here again? Didn't I tell you to beat it?" she harshly challenged him as he approached. Her curly auburn hair, dusted with grey, was escaping the bonnet she wore and stuck to her perspiring face.

Link bit down on his lip, hard.

"Please wait," Navi implored, darting forward just ahead of her charge. "Let us explain."

"Well," she replied, an impatient frown painting her face, "Make it quick. I'm keeping my eye on you."

The boy clasped both hands behind his back and stared at the ground. "I'm… I'm really sorry." He lifted his beseeching blue eyes to the farmer's wife, his lip trembling. "I didn't know it wrong to take the apple. At home we never had to buy our food. I'm not a thief, I'm not!"

"Woah there! Calm down," she said, her eyes losing some of their acerbity and her mouth relaxing. "I suppose I was a little harsh in assuming you were one of those beggar children. Look, I'm not beneath helping the orphans out on occasion, but they steal things when my back is turned. But maybe you're different. If no one buys food where you're from, how do you eat?"

Link took a few seconds to realize that she wasn't actually going to summon a guard and the images of the angry knight captain receded from his mind. He loosed his firmly clenched, sweaty palms. "We have a big garden back home. Saria always made me help pull weeds." He wrinkled his nose.

"All righty then. I'll give you a chance. I have this mixed basket of carrots and turnips. Sort them for me and then we'll see." She gestured to the wicker container at the side of the stall. "My back has been giving me trouble and I can't bend over without being in agony."

With a glance at her to make sure she was in earnest, the green-clad boy hastily squatted and began dividing the vegetables therein into two more baskets that she set near him. "Yuck," he muttered. "These aren't turnips. They're rutabagas!"

The woman smiled shortly as she turned to help a customer. It seemed the boy was telling the truth. She sold her produce with renewed vigor and a feeling of satisfaction that bubbled within her.

As Link separated the two kinds of vegetables he was tempted to eat at least a carrot, except for the dirt which still clung to all of them. Instead he finished the process just as quickly as he could toss them into their containers. When finished, he sprang to his feet, rubbed his hands on the back of his tunic and looked most expectantly at the curly-haired lady. She was in the midst of dickering over the price of several selections of food with another woman.

"I have a little helper here who would gladly carry your bundles," the stall owner told her customer, indicating the green-clad boy. "He's young but he's a reliable sort."

"All right," the other female agreed, taking two of the smallest baskets under her arm.

"Go on," the farmer's wife hissed to Link. "Carry everything to her house. Here, take these."

She quickly set four pears into one of the hollows in the baskets. The child struggled to get them all in a manageable grip with only two measly hands. The customer lightly tread the cobbles with not many a look at her helper until she reached her little home on one of the neat little back streets. She instructed the boy to set everything just inside her kitchen door and first she inspected them so as to ensure that nothing was damaged or broken.

"You did a fine job," she told him. She withdrew her little drawstring purse and pulled out just a few green gems which she gave to him along with the pears.

He stared at them as if they were the very Triforce itself.

"Thank you," Navi said in his place, making a little bob in the air.

The boy finally quit goggling the rupees and slipped them into his pocket, grinning madly as he did. "I did it!" he crowed. "Navi, I earned some money!"

"Very good, Link. You're learning rapidly."

On his way back to the farmer's stall, he seemed to be walking on air rather than stone and he would have run except he was too busy gorging himself on the sweet, succulent pears, the juice of which dripped down the front of his tunic. The curly-haired woman welcomed him back and set him to lifting some heavy baskets for her. A maid came by with a list from her mistress; the farmer's wife sent him off again, this time with a handful of chewy dried pawpaws. Link was very careful that he didn't bump the bundles against his legs as he walked, which wasn't easy because Navi kept reminding him to keep his eyes peeled for the princess.

When they reached the fine home, the lady of the house came down to inspect the purchases. "Why, what's this?" she asked, viewing the little delivery boy with some mirth. "Leebe, do you need a little bodyguard for you to come back from your marketing safely?" She was so tickled that she bestowed upon the child a handsome tip.

Once more on the avenue, Link extracted the money he'd earner earlier and compared it to the newest ones. "I have seven rupees now! Could I buy a horse with these, Navi?"

"Oh, no! Link, the two red rupees are each worth twenty and the green ones are only worth one."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The value of the rupee is determined by its color. You'd have to earn twenty green rupees to equal the worth of one red one. That's why the green ones are smaller than the red. There are many other denominations as well. Purple, blue, yellow…"

"Oh, okay. So, can I buy a horse?"

"No, Link. A horse costs a great many more rupees than that. You could buy some food though."

"Yeah!" he exclaimed, grinning.

As if he'd been catapulted from the slingshot of which he was so fond, he dashed back toward the market. A minute later he crashed into someone with an abundance of red hair.

"Hey! You should watch where you're g— Fairy boy!"

"Hi, Malon! Um, sorry I bumped into you…"

He picked himself up, grateful that he'd taken the worst of the spill since it was completely his fault. He felt the rupees jingling around in his pocket and the rumblings of a stomach that begged for more nourishment, and he made to run off again, except for the hand on his arm.

"I didn't know if I'd see you again. Did you get into the castle all right? Did you see the princess?"

"Yeah, I was there," he replied. "But I haven't seen her yet. I'm looking for her."

"Can I come with you?" she pleaded, her eyes telling him he'd never hear the end of it if he refused. "I'm looking for my dad, too."

"Okay, come on!" he agreed and started running again. He was impressed and a little disappointed that she was able to keep up with him all the way back to the stall.

"I earned some more money!" he proudly told the woman.

"Little farmer boy, you're going to have to fend for yourself now," she said, placing her empty baskets in the mule-drawn cart. "I have to go back to the farm. My husband was supposed to come by with more produce but I'm sure he's forgotten. What a day this has been; first with those children and then that mad dog…" she muttered as she moved off.

He looked a bit wistful that she was leaving but he perked up quickly enough as the thought of food returned to him. He strolled through the market like he was the king himself, until he spotted a vendor who had fried fish for sale. The smell of it drew him in like a spell.

"Seven rupees for two pieces of fish," announced the petite young woman at the stand.

The boy gave her all his rupees in his pockets and started grabbing for the fish while she tucked away the money hastily.

"You gave her too much!" cried Navi, bristling with righteous anger.

At the same time Malon, who had just been watching absently, jumped forward. "You're supposed to give him change, you know!"

"What are you talking about?" the vendor lady queried innocently.

"Huh?" puzzled Link as he juggled one filet of piping hot bass.

Malon persisted, placing her hands on the top of the counter and leaning forward. "He gave you forty-five rupees and you said the fish only cost seven! I heard it! Now give them back!"

"I witnessed it as well," Navi agreed, landing near the other piece of fish which still rested on the stand.

The woman narrowed her eyes and scowled. Was it better to cut her losses rather than risk drawing any more attention? The little kid deserved it, after all; he had gladly given her his money.

"You don't have to jump all over me! I was going to get the change out anyway."

Malon snatched the rupees with a baleful glare at the deceitful vendor. She held onto them carefully until her friend had a chance to return them to his pocket. Link claimed the second slice of fish and they walked away from the stall.

"This doesn't taste as good as the fish back home," he mumbled through a too warm bite. Regardless, he kept eating and spitting out the bones. "Do you want some, Malon?"

"No thanks," she replied, staring at him as if he had grown two heads. "Fairy boy, you'd better be more careful with your money. There are lots of people around here who'd gladly take it from you."

"She's right, Link. We mustn't waste the rupees we have. You'll be glad later when you're hungry again. Look, if you're not sure about it just ask me, okay?"

He eyed her around a huge mouthful. "Ofay, Nabi."

Hardly had he finished with the fish than he saw some steaming meat pies. Drooling, he was all ready to hand over his rupees when Malon pushed forward.

"Don't buy here," she whispered to him, physically staying his hand. "They put so little meat in their pies and sell them for the same price as the better ones."

"But I'm still hungry!"

"It's okay. I'll show you were to find the best pies in the whole market. Come this way!"

She grabbed his hand as he sent one last sad look toward the miserable morsels and the couple behind the stand, the latter of which glowered at the backs of the retreating children. Half a minute later, Malon brought him to a sudden halt in front of the stall of a man wearing a grin almost as wide as he was. At the girl's request, he pushed forward two pies oozing with gravy and offering a delectable, moist scent.

"Ten rupees," he beamed at the children. "Are you paying for this, little man?"

Link nodded but as he was about to reach into his pocket he noticed Malon staring at him. "Just a minute." He turned his back and beckoned to his fairy while his fingered his money. "How much is one of these red ones?"

She told him. "But you should give him your yellow rupee. It's worth ten."

Facing the man again, he plopped down his money. "Do you want some too?" he asked the girl as he prepared to stuff his face.

"Uh huh, I would," she replied, noticing with some amusement how he smacked his lips and just ultimately seemed to be enjoying his food to the limit. "One more please," she said, placing her own blue rupee.

The two children drifted away, enjoying every bit of those delicious pies. Between a couple of bites Link asked Malon, "Do you know where I should look for the princess? Where would you go?"

"Mmmm… Well, I do know of some fun places to go to around town. Come on, I'll take you!"

She grabbed his sticky hand with her own and they were off. They stopped at a little shooting gallery and Link spent ten more of his rupees to shoot the stiff targets painted sloppily to look like rupees; he beamed proudly when Malon applauded his perfect win, and then he secreted away the twenty-rupee prize the burly, bushy-bearded man had given him. After that they stopped to watch a man who possessed what seemed the magical ability to breathe bursts of flame.

"How does he do that?!" Link exclaimed loudly, putting his hands to his own mouth and making sure he still breathed normally. The other bystanders chuckled.

"I don't know, but it's great, isn't it? He was like a dragon!"

The children darted around vehicles in the street and watched as a pretty young lady covered in furs and jewels descend from one particularly extravagant carriage; she glanced disdainfully at them and disappeared into a grand house. The coachman chased the two away.

"That wasn't the princess, right?" Link asked, worried that he'd have to try speaking to her.

"No, she's not," both girl and guardian assured him.

"Come this way, fairy boy. My dad comes to this street sometimes to play those games he likes so much. We can ask about the princess too."

Though they searched, those two people remained elusively out of their reach. They stopped by a pretty little fountain, where they drank and took a short break; Link showed the girl his ocarina and she attempted to impart to him the tune she often hummed to herself.

"I can teach you more later, fairy boy," said she, growing antsy with inaction. "Let's keep looking!"

They entered the more exclusive shopping area and wandered along the sides of the road, staring into shop windows, looking for blonde girls and chubby, short men, and sometimes asking passerby or shop owners if they'd seen anyone of those descriptions. Then they found a delightful little shop which seemed bigger inside than out; within it was a cheerily grinning man who sold and rented certain items that made the boy very curious.

"Welcome to the Happy Mask Shop! What would you like? Buy a mask for your very own or borrow one just for today!

"Ooh, let's get masks, fairy boy!" Malon cried delightedly, clapping her hands. For a moment she fixed her gaze on him and then began examining the many various, differently colored items lining the shelves that reached floor to ceiling.

"Go ahead. Look around as much as you like. We have many masks to choose from!" The grinning salesman rubbed his hands together.

Link also eyed the merchandise with bright, excited eyes, but he was learning quickly too. "How much to they cost?" he asked.

"Ah, for you young sir, just a paltry sum of five rupees for one mask rental. This is satisfactory, is it not? Such a low price!"

He thought for a few seconds. "Okay," the boy agreed, relinquishing the required amount for two of those items.

"Good, good! My thanks to you, child. Now all you have to do is pick the one you want."

The green glad boy joined his friend in perusing the rows upon rows of masks. There was such an abundance of colors and forms that he didn't think he could ever actually select one; on some were painted faces and designs, while others were made to replicate animals. He spotted a mask which was smooth and framed with artificial leaves and flowers, one which he knew Saria would like; he made a little promise to himself that he would somehow earn more money, buy it outright, and surprise her with it when he was finally able to see her again. Finally, after much deliberation and changing of his mind, he decided on a strange, somewhat skull-like mask with horns.

Malon rolled her eyes when she saw him. "Oh, brother! Boys will be boys!" She had chosen a simple mask with large, dark eyes, little ears that wiggled when she moved, and a big "o" of a mouth; its color was that of her favorite horse's mane.

Navi whispered something into his ear. "Have you seen any blonde girls?" Link queried, shifting his own mask so that he could actually see through it.

"I've made a lot of children happy today," the salesman replied with his everlasting grin. "But just a little while ago there was one girl who wanted a special mask and paid double the special price for it."

"Could it be her?" the boy inquired excitedly, turning his head upward and to the side as he tried to locate his fairy.

"She may well be," the tiny being replied. "Do you know which way she went?"

The salesman blinked a couple of times before responding. "No, I do not. I'm sorry I can give you nothing else. Please, enjoy the masks you've chosen." His lowered his head by just a fraction of an inch and his eyes seemed to become dangerously dark. "Be sure you return them here by evening. I will be waiting."

"Yes, sir," Malon replied, her beaming expression hidden from view. "Come on, fairy boy!"

Walking through town wearing masks proved to be a new form of enjoyment for the children. Link felt less vulnerable in that great town with the scary mask covering his face. Some of the adults ignored them, some merely quickly glanced their way and continued speedily on, while still others laughed, made snarky or admiring remarks, or asked if the masks came from that new shop. Link kept his eyes peeled for anyone else wearing a mask, but the other children who had borrowed those items must have been congregating in another part of town, as he saw only a single boy with covered face.

After a time Malon lowered her mask, only holding it in her hands as she cast her eyes to and fro. It was most fortunate that she did so, as just a few minutes later she noticed someone in the periphery of her vision.

"Hey, fairy boy! Do you see that man over there, across the street?"

He looked as she directed and was required to adjust his mask once more.

"I've seen him and Dad together before. Let's follow him and see where he goes!"

"Why don't we just ask him?"

"My dad wouldn't like it. One time I spoke to one of those men he always goes away with and he got mad at me. My dad is a kind man and he doesn't get mad at anyone. No, it would be much better if we just followed him."

"Why did he do that?"

"I don't really know, but I guess it has something to do with those games he plays with them."

Link had new thrill in stalking the streets while trailing behind the shady man, so much that Malon had to scold him several times that he was walking too quickly or just acting too weirdly. She rolled her eyes again. The boy was enjoying the excitement that he also forgot to keep looking for their own missing person and Navi also prompted him repeatedly.

He was greatly reminded of a time that he sneaked behind Mido into the Lost Woods. He had been a little worried because he hadn't a fairy to protect him from the curse of the dark part of the forest, but he was determined to find out where the bully was headed—he even removed his boots so as to be extra quiet, which was something he was sure wouldn't occur to the older boy. He witnessed Mido approach a large stump which held a drawing and though he could not fully hear the words the other Kokiri mumbled, he noticed a very sad look about his face, something Link had never witnessed before.

As he made to draw closer he forgot to first look where he was stepping and he trod noisily upon a large twig which snapped as it stabbed him in the foot. Mido leapt up with a slightly wet sort of vengeance in his eyes and gave chase. At seven, Link couldn't beat the bigger boy in a fight but his legs were almost as long and he had the spirit of antelope. He probably would have evaded Mido and reached a haven, likely within sight of his best friend, but he tripped upon a vine snaking its way across the forest floor. He skinned his knees and elbows badly but had no time to lick his wounds; he was struggling to his feet when the other Kokiri launched himself at him.

When the tussle was ended and older boy left with his cut lip and thrashed knuckles, Link tried to make his own way back to the village but the evil spirits which liked to congregate in the Lost Woods began closing in on the battered, fairy-less boy. He began seeing things that he couldn't quite be sure were there, and he suddenly didn't know how to return home; he passed out when he thought his hands were being eaten away. A little search party in the form of Saria and a couple of other Kokiri found him half an hour later after the warning of the Deku Tree. Link was delirious for three days afterward, but the green-haired girl was with him constantly; she didn't speak to Mido for a couple of weeks until the younger boy was well again.

"Hey, look! He's gone into that building!"

"Huh?" he mumbled. "Mido went where?"

"Wake up, fairy boy!" Malon's voice came from his side as she poked him in the arm. "There's no one named Mido here! That man we're following just went inside that building over there." She pointed to a disreputable establishment which made the tavern and inn at which Link had stayed seem like a mansion by comparison.

"Okay. Should we go inside too?" he asked, ready to strike forth at a split-second's notice.

"No! No, we have to wait," she hissed, pulling him back by the arm. "We can't just walk in. Someone would see us."

"Oh." He looked at the ground and toed the dust impatiently. "What about me? Maybe if it was me who went in I could find your dad."

"Well…" she drawled, cocking her head and fixating her gaze on him. "You are a boy so they might not just throw you out. I've seen boys going into these places before. You should probably take off that mask though."

Link slowly and reluctantly removed that item from his face. As he entered the place he unconsciously put the hand holding the mask over the wound on his thigh. It hardly bothered him anymore except for the occasional itch; he scratched at the bandage absently, taking tiny steps in the dimness permeating the hall of the building. He gradually grew more accustomed to the half-light of the few smoky candles placed at irregular intervals but they still made his eyes smart. Where Navi usually would have flown ahead by a few feet to illuminate his path, in this instance she remained as close to him as possible and strengthening not her glow. They passed a few shapes resembling men, but none paid the child the simplest of glances. He kept his mouth firmly shut, as if he wanted to keep himself from letting an expression of fear escape him. Even with the absence of most light, the guardian could feel the dread from his shivers.

Still nervous that someone would call him out for being in a place he did not belong, he poked cautiously along what seemed a long, twisted corridor. He made an occasional stop when he peeked into one of the rooms from which oozed the vibrations of men's voices at all sorts of volumes, and sometimes another sound which the boy could not yet identify, whereby he gave scrutiny to the men and slipped out again. Then, in the fifth room he checked he recognized a familiar face, whereupon he crept forward as if he were a mouse.

"Mr. Talon?" he murmured, giving one light tug on the man's sleeve.

"Huh? Whut, whut?!"

The rancher jerked, carelessly throwing the white, tiny box-like items from his hand. The lighting was much better in that room and when those small objects landed on the table Link realized they were decorated with a different number of dots on each side. From his viewpoint he glimpsed a couple of sixes, a five, a one and a couple of other numbers he didn't bother to identify. The plump man grinned lazily when he saw what he'd rolled.

"Mr. Talon," Link tried again, leaning near the pointed ear. "Malon is looking for you."

"She is? Oh shucks…" he said, scratching his head. "What time is it?"

The boy shrugged.

"Demons take the time!" one of the other participants of the game growled. "We've gotta get a chance to win back our money!"

"It's getting on to five o'clock," the guardian fairy whispered, whereupon Link relayed the message.

Talon's sleepy eyes opened wide. "Oh no…" he muttered as he scooped up his winnings. "I messed up bad leaving her behind like that! I was only going to play a couple of rounds…"

"Hey, where are you going? We're not finished!" another of the players protested.

"Sorry fellows. I've got to leave!" the rancher replied.

Making for the doorway, he thought he wouldn't have need to return to the place as he'd actually made a nice little pot for himself and his daughter that afternoon. He could finally get some things around the ranch fixed and maybe hire another hand so Ingo would quit grousing all the time… And then Malon wouldn't look at him with her mother's exact scolding expression.

"Hey, you're good luck for me, kiddo. You should come to all my games."

With more speed than he'd yet exhibited, Talon hustled to the exit with Link tailing behind; the man quickly tucked the bag of rupees into the front of his considerable overalls. As they emerged from the building, a girl connected to a great lot of long red hair threw herself at the rancher.

"Oh Dad, there you are!" Malon cried. She hugged him for the briefest of seconds and then stood back with hands upon hips. "Fairy boy and I've been looking all over for you!"

Link tried to keep himself from rubbing his eyes as he blinked mightily; the sun was at just the angle that its lowering rays launched perfectly into that sorry excuse for a street. He was glad to have found one object of their combined search but he realized with sudden clarity that he still hadn't found the princess. Would Impa be disappointed in him for wasting the precious time?

"I-I'm sorry m-m'dear," Talon muttered. "I only meant to be gone a short time."

The girl sighed and her arms relaxed slightly. "You always say that."

"All I want is to make you happy," he pleaded. "We can do lotsa things for our ranch now, you know!"

"You know I don't care about that, Dad." Her expression reminded Link of the way Saria had looked when she told him of the history between Mido and Geon. "Let's just go home, okay?"

The man brightened a bit. "Of course, m'dear!"

Malon turned to Link, her hands clasped behind her hand and her usually cheerful grin inverted. "I'm sorry, fairy boy, I have to go now. Today's been so much fun. I hope you find the princess."

He nodded soberly. "I will," he said, wishing he felt as confident about it as he sounded.

She brightened a bit. "And you have to come visit us at the ranch! We'd love to have you! This will tell you how to get there." She pressed a bit of paper, folded several times over, into his hands. "I'll show you my horse and we can both make music for her."

"Thanks Malon. I won't forget. Good bye…" he said, waving and looking on with some sadness as the two moved up the road. As soon as he was able he decided he was going to visit that ranch and see the girl again.

"Well, at least we helped her find her father," the fairy mused. "But we still need to locate the princess."

"Yeah," he replied, absently fitting on Malon's mask, which she'd left with him. His voice was muffled. "Where are we supposed to look now? I'm tired."

"I don't really know. We've been so many places and haven't seen her." Navi looked at the items he held. "We could go back to the mask shop and see if the salesman has seen her again, and return those masks."

"Okay."

Though he liked it less than the one he'd chosen, he continued wearing Malon's mask until Navi led the way back to the shop. After handing them back to the man, he inquired about the object of his search but the adult only informed him the girl hadn't yet returned with her mask. Without further leads, Link slumped and exited the shop with his chin nearing his chest. He thought about returning to the castle but did not wish to anger the warrior woman by telling her he hadn't fulfilled the task to which she set him. He wandered through a few streets, kicking the occasional loose stone and wishing the town wasn't such a huge place.

"I'm tired, Navi," he griped, folding his arms and looking quite cross. "Can't you fly up over the town and look for the princess?"

"I could. It would mean I'd have to leave you, however. Are you all right with that?"

He made pause at the idea that hadn't occurred to him. "Wellll… You won't go too far, right?"

The fairy shook her head briefly, smiling gently downwards at him. "I won't. You need only call my name and I will be with you again."

"Okay," he agreed, sighing in relief. "I'll just wait here for you." He sank to someone's doorstep.

"No, Link. If I'm going to search for her then you have to do the same."

A disagreeable scowl crossed his features again. "But, Navi…"

She silenced him with a single stern glance. "This is your task, Link. Though I will help you I will not do it all for you. Do you understand?"

The boy shifted one side of his mouth and glowered at the ground. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Good. Now, if you see the princess call me, or if I find her I will return to you. We will find her, do not fear."

He nodded half-heartedly and watched glumly as she floated above the buildings and quickly away from sight. His only desire was to stay in place and wallow in self-pity; he sat for some seconds, scuffing his boot back and forth on the cobbles.

"Stupid princess," he muttered, wrinkling his nose as he scowled. "Why'd that lady have to pick me to find her?"

He waited as long as he dared—no longer than a scant half minute—before he arose, a plan forming in his brain. He would look around just a little and then wait for Navi's return; the only problem was that she would probably know if he hadn't actually fulfilled her directions. He stomped up the street and glared at any girls who crossed his path.

As he was only a couple of streets away from the mask shop, he found his way there again with the slim hope the princess would show herself. Upon seeing him, the salesman's grin slipped a bit before he quite registered what he was doing.

"I haven't seen her," he said before the child had quite opened his mouth. "Are you interested in another mask, young man? A couple of hours remain before I close up."

"Um, no…" Link replied.

He sagged in both expression and posture as he shuffled from the shop. He turned up his head, prepared to speak his frustrations to his companion, and then he remembered. He was sorely tempted to call her name; at least then he wouldn't feel quite so alone and swallowed by the city and its people. He even parted his lips and moved his tongue, but made no sound. She would be so disappointed in him! He swung his satchel around carelessly but fortunately it came into contact with nothing but his shoulder.

He ambled aimlessly down another one of the anthill-like streets, jingling the rupees in his pocket and wondering if he could make a suitable excuse to stop and buy something, even though he wasn't actually hungry. Only a few of the barest minutes had passed since his guardian took to the sky but he was sure it had been years.

"Come on! Give it up!"

"Yeah! Hand it over and we won't take anything else."

"I will not! Let me pass this instant!"

Link's ears prickled at the sound of youthful voices. He sighed and cast his eyes about for the source of the disturbance, locating it when he moved around the curve of the alley. The aggressors were the male members of the raggle-taggle group of children of whom he'd run afoul before; in a dark little alcove they had surrounded a golden-haired young girl in an unadorned white and blue dress. To her chest she clutched a shield-shaped mask with an eye; both she and the item she held seemed familiar to him though he didn't yet fully realize why. It was as if he'd seen her from far away or in a dream.

The eldest boy, the one named Race who had challenged Link, leaned forward and said, in an effort to be cajoling, "It won't do you any harm to give it to us. So just let us have it and we'll let you go."

He put forth his hands to take the mask, but she abruptly turned her shoulder toward him. Her pale blue eyes flashed. "It does not belong to you!"

"Have it your way!" the largest beggar boy snapped. "We'll just have to take it from you then!"


	10. Lessons

She shrank still further away, though there was nowhere for her to go, and pierced them with such a look that made them hesitate. "Don't touch me!"

"Leave her alone!" Link cried, pushing his way into the group, his hands balled and his own deeply blue eyes filled with the scathing flames of indignation.

Race spun and sneered as he caught sight of the child in green. "Hah! The outsider is back! He doesn't listen so good, does he, fellows?"

"Let's teach him a lesson too!" snorted a dark-haired, dark complexioned boy just a couple of inches shorter than the leader at whose elbow he stood.

"Yeah!" chorused a couple of others.

"You'll regret even coming onto our turf," Race said darkly as he advanced upon the boy smaller than himself. "We'll teach you a real good lesson, ya skinny weirdo!"

Link colored. "No, you won't!" he shouted back, too angered to give any ground. Yanking his sword from its sheath he held its point out, keeping his shaking right hand hidden behind the shield.

The others started, eying the blade which they could easily tell was sharp enough to cut through an arm; it was much better quality than the makeshift or stolen weapons they scrounged up from time to time. A couple of them backed off a step or two but Race remained as he was, his own eyes narrowed.

"That's a nice toy you have there. You should know better than to try to threaten us with it!"

"It's not a toy," Link insisted. He inhaled shakily and his eyes did not waver in his fierce determination. "I killed a giant creature with it and…" Gulping, he added quickly, "…And a lot of bone children! I am still alive and they are not."

The boys eyed again the bandage that just stuck out from the hem of his tunic. Link had somehow maneuvered so that he was partially in front of the golden-headed girl and though he gave no ground he wanted to curl into a ball and cry. He hated what he was doing but it was the only way he could think to keep them from harming her.

"What are you doing?" she protested with harsh whispers which he ignored for the time.

"We can't fight him like that," a fair-haired boy muttered to the child next to him.

"He's a sneak!" another grumbled. Everyone grimaced sourly.

Race hastily looked to the others. No one was spoiling for a fight now that there was the probability they could be seriously injured in the process. They might take this strange boy down, but he in turn would bring several of their number with him. The youthful leader grudgingly admitted this to himself and scowled all the more.

He took a step back. "You're a dirty rotten coward, coming at us with a sword!"

The boy in green would have reddened had he not already been drawn so white. At that moment nothing would have pleased him more than to strike the street beggar with either the flat or sharp edge of his blade. The others saw the look in his eyes and thinking he would indeed retaliate, they backed away still further. Why he didn't do it he couldn't be quite sure himself, as it was all happening so fast; he thought of Mido and how many times he would have liked to smack him in such a manner. He was thoroughly ashamed all over again that he was acting like the bully he'd so detested.

"Don't ever come to our territory again if you wanna stay healthy!" Race growled, giving one final baleful glare as he too shuffled away.

Link stood there for several seconds before he lowered his weapon; he hated how much his hands were shaking. Why had he done that, anyway? The other boy was right; it was a cowardly thing to threaten them with an unfair advantage and take such pleasure in watching them scatter. He was sure if Saria was there she would have looked at him in her sorrowful manner which forewarned of tears. He all but forgot about the other girl who was still very much with him.

"What were you doing?!" She curled one hand before her stomach and leaned forward as she directed her considerable anger at him. "I didn't need you to rescue me! I was doing all right until you interfered!"

Some of her hair, which hung as far as her shoulder blades, tumbled forward, causing the boy to absently think it was very nice and much like sunshine as he turned to face her. Her dress swept about her lower legs, just above the ankles, and she wore a pair of tall leather boots with lacings, both of which must have run at least halfway up to her knees. The loose sleeves reached her elbows and the skin of both hands and face were noticeably paler than his. She also had about seven freckles sprinkled across her slightly turned-up little nose.

He returned his blade to its sheath. "S-sorry… I only wanted to help…" This time the red did creep to his cheeks.

"You just made it worse, that's all!" she scolded him, her voice just below an undignified shriek. Still holding fast to the mask she had refused to give up, she turned on her flat heel and stalked away.

"Wait!" the little hero cried after her, raising his hand. "Are you…are you the princess?"

She did not pause.

"You know what you need to do, Link?"

"Um, follow h— Navi!" His head flew up and his expression lightened as he spotted her. "I forgot to call you!"

"It's all right," the fairy assured him. "I told you I wouldn't be far away; I was watching you, Link."

The girl was just about out of sight; after the quick look at his guardian he hurried in easy pursuit. He glanced around a few times to make sure the street children were not following him in turn and breathed with relief that they were not. Frowning as he registered her words, he realized that she surely had seen his shameful actions.

"You did well," she told him, as if she could read his mind. "Link, I'm proud of you."

He tripped over a rough part of the street, falling to and scraping both knees and palms. Though those members stung, he pushed himself upward again and stared after his fairy, who had not ceased in her flight. Resuming his pace again he caught up, his eyes shining brightly and his mouth open slightly as if he was about to say something.

"Yes, you did. You protected her the best way you could," she said, turning to him and smiling gently. Her expression changed to one of mild alarm. "Watch out! Link, those boxes!"

The boy stumbled and narrowly missed finding himself on the ground again. He skirted around the obstacles, amid the shout and grumbles of a couple citizens.

"But she was so angry!" he murmured after capturing a few quick breaths.

She glanced to the girl who scurried along a path seemingly well known to her; the fairy turned again to her charge and neared his ear. "She was trying to find you, remember? She is likely very embarrassed, don't you think?"

The blue eyes widened and the brows above them rose. "R-really?"

"You should try to be as considerate as you can with her when we get back to the castle."

He nodded slowly as he continued hurrying after the girl. She glanced back just once and he ducked behind a short stone wall. The boy couldn't be sure if she'd seen him or not. When they reached the castle grounds she expertly found her way around the guard posts and main gateways. She slipped through the fence of iron railings by way of a slightly bigger gap between two of the bars; Link followed but was forced to remove his sword and shield first. He panicked and was sure he'd lost her when he didn't see her on the other side. Lifting his gaze, he was prepared to whisper his worries to his guardian.

"Why are you following me?!" the golden haired girl demanded sharply, suddenly jumping out from a bush. "I'll call the guards and they'll remove you!"

He dropped the sheathed sword and baldric to which it was attached and held up his hands. "No, please! You don't understand! I was only looking for you because I had to see you!"

"Guards!" she called, though her tone was too low for actually summoning anyone, and then she suddenly stopped. Her eyebrows lifting slightly, she turned back to him and actually seemed to see him for the first time. "What did you say? Wait… Is that…a fairy?"

The boy nodded hesitantly, remaining as he was for fear of earning her displeasure again. He glanced briefly to his guardian who bobbled just above and to the side of his head; she gave him a gesture that told him he was on the right track.

The indignation melted from her features like ice under a desert sun, and her mouth perked up at the sides. "You're from the forest then, aren't you?" she quizzed, excitedly, almost nervously clasping her hands.

He eyed her as though he wasn't sure quite what she'd next do. "Yes."

"Oh, I knew it!" She beamed quite brightly then. "I knew you were coming, and I was looking for you! Where were you?"

"Um, I…I was looking for you. All over Castle Town."

Her lips pressed together in a little pout. "I have so many important things to tell you. Let's go back into the castle first." She paused as if to leave, but then she focused her gaze on him again. "What is your name?"

He told her.

"Hmm… It seems familiar somehow… Well, come on Link. I'll take you inside the castle, but you have to promise you won't tell anyone about the way we go. Okay?" She stared at him with a determined, expectant look.

Shaking his head quickly, he avowed, "I won't tell anyone."

"Do you promise? You'll keep it a secret from everyone?"

This time he nodded. "I promise! …But Navi can come too, right?"

As soon as he'd given his word, the girl took a few steps away but she turned back just briefly. "Your fairy? Of course. Come on now, and be quick! I can't let anyone see me or I'll have such a hard time sneaking out again."

Link hastily grabbed for the things he'd dropped and scurried after the girl. She led him through a small door and down a long, mostly dark passage above which they could hear the sounds of men talking and weapons and armor being shifted and shaken about. Navi's glow was welcome in that close area which so reminded the boy of the tunnels beneath the Deku Tree. He shivered as his golden-haired companion remarked on how fine it was that she didn't have to stumble through in the dark.

They emerged through a cleverly disguised door in a dark alcove of one of the castle corridors; from there she led him through more hallways than he felt he'd even be able to keep track of, until they finally ended up in the same little courtyard into which he had originally tried to enter. Before emerging outdoors, however, she set her mask upon a little hall table with mirror and candle.

"This is my private place. We can talk here without any of the maids or other servants bothering us," she informed him. She bent to pluck a soft, sweet little pink bloom and tucked it behind her ear. "How did you know to find me in town?"

The little hero hardly heard her, as he was staring at everything around him. Two sides the courtyard were bordered by the white stone of the castle, while the other two were closed by high walls of almost identical appearance. A little stream captured by stone laughed and beckoned to him from one side. Flowers and shrubs were arranged in charming order in finely-kept beds; along some of the walls were green vines with little pink and white blooms, growing near the ground and up to nine feet high. Two doors with corresponding markings certainly opened to the princess' quarters. He gazed up to the paling blue sky and the few wisps of pink and orange clouds drifting leisurely overhead.

"Did you see Impa?" she inquired again, plying him with impatient eyes. "Was she the one who told you where to find me?"

"Yes, it was I who asked him to search you out, Your Highness."

Both children spun to face the silvery-haired woman who stood with arms folded in one of the many shadows cast by twilight. The girl's eyes suddenly lost their luster and she dropped her face.

"I'm sorry I caused you trouble, Impa…" Her gaze flew up, fixing itself on that of her taciturn bodyguard. "Oh, but you don't know how frustrating it is to stay here when I could be doing something! I know… I should have waited, but when I saw that man arrive…" She shivered and lowered her eyes again.

"Sometimes it is more prudent to wait than to hurry out to battle. But it is past now. I have merely come to remind you that you need soon dine with the king."

"Oh yes…" The princess' half-guilty, half-ferocious expression morphed into a fleeting sadness. "My father won't believe my dreams." She placed her eyes firmly on the woman. "Is he going to be there?"

"No."

She exhaled slowly. "That's good at least." Facing the green-clad boy, she clasped her hands once more and leaned forward just slightly. "I have to tell you everything, Link!"

"I will return at the appropriate time," Impa said. "Meantime, I will see to it that your mask is returned to that shop."

With that, she just seemed to melt into the darkening shadows. Link blinked several times as he tried to determine where exactly she had gone, but the girl paid it no notice.

"I'm afraid I've been terribly rude," she said. "I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule. …But you probably already figured that out, didn't you?" She seated herself on a little white stone bench, smiled at him and gestured in one fluid motion that he sit with her.

"Y-yeah," he muttered, feeling suddenly tongue-tied.

She ran her fingers through the hair that fell over her shoulders. "I've had dreams of dark clouds that slowly stole over and threatened to engulf the whole land. A man with evil eyes came to the castle today and I am sure he is the one symbolized by those clouds. I never saw anything but a shadowy shape in my dream but I know it must be him!" The hairs on her head felt alive as she gripped the edge of the bench. "That man is the leader of the Gerudo who hail from the west and he has come to swear allegiance to my father and to make peace, but I do not believe him! He is after something much bigger!"

Link gasped. "The Triforce…" he whispered.

"So you know of it too?" she exclaimed quietly, her eyes burning into him.

"The Great Deku Tree told me about it." He drew his fists tightly closed as he frowned. "H-he gave me a green stone and said I had to find you."

"You have the stone? That must be the Spiritual Stone of the Forest! May I see it?"

He yanked his bag by the straps from its place at his feet and fumbled around inside aimlessly. Finally he just emptied the contents carefully onto the bench between them. The emerald lay on top of a few crumbs, between the ocarina and flask of water.

"I saw this in the hands of a figure in green…" she said, staring into its swirling depths. "I knew you were coming and that's why I went looking for you."

"The Great Deku Tree told me it was very important. That man who killed him tried to get it!" the boy said, cupping the precious stone in both hands. His demeanor was torn apart by grief and a desire for vengeance.

"Oh, it is! Three stones are required to open the Door of Time. He wants them all so he can get the Triforce!"

He glanced up at her quizzically. "The Door…of Time?"

"For generations the royal family has kept this tale… You know the Triforce rests in the Sacred Realm, a place connected to our world?" Upon receiving his affirmation she continued, "The ancient ones built a temple around it and sealed it three ways to protect it from the evil desires that crept into the hearts of men. You see, the Triforce has the power to grant the wish of the one who holds it in his hands. If someone of a pure heart makes a wish, all of Hyrule will be blessed with prosperity; however, if he who touches it has a corrupt heart, the world will be consumed by his evil. Do you see why we must never let that man gain the Sacred Realm?"

Link nodded slowly, his button-wide eyes fastened to the princess as with adhesive, his fingers mostly covering the emerald as he grasped it tightly in his hands.

"The first key is in the form of the three Spiritual Stones which have long been entrusted to the guardians of three provinces. The second requirement is another relic passed down through my family: the Ocarina of Time. The possession of these items is the only way to open the Door of Time, but even then there is still one more safeguard in place before the path to the Sacred Realm will open. It has always been enough to deter those with evil intentions from accessing the Triforce, but now I am afraid… I can feel how powerful that man is… He will stop at nothing to get the Triforce!"

"What can we do?" he cried, a bit despairingly as he recalled how easily the sorcerer had cursed his father.

"I will protect the Ocarina of Time with everything I have and I will find out what I can about his plans. You must search out the other two Spiritual Stones. We will keep him from the Triforce by getting to it first! He'll never touch it!" She placed her own hand over his and the stone. "Will you do it?"

The little boy swallowed once and inclined his head. "Yes," he said, his heart beating so quickly he was sure she would feel it too.

"Thank you for believing me." She took her hand away, folded both in her lap and gazed at her boots. "I told my father about my dreams but he did not think they are anything but nightmares." She lowered her voice so much that Link could but barely hear her. "I wish my mother were still alive… She would believe me…"

Zelda slipped from the bench and moved noiselessly to the little stream where she dipped her fingers as if to pet the red, gold and blue fish that swam therein. After a few moments of quiet reflection, she wiped her eye and turned back to the boy who had also risen from the stone and stood holding the satchel that once again contained his few possessions. She smiled as his fairy moved toward his head and seemed to be whispering something in his ear. He followed the girl's path in meandering fashion and also stared into the clear water.

"I wish I could go with you," the princess murmured aside.

"You do?" he queried, incredulous. He paused as he too made to break the stream's surface with his fingers.

"Going on an adventure would be so exciting! You cannot imagine how boring it gets around here sometimes; it's the reason I like put on plain clothes and go to town without attendants. My father doesn't know and he would never approve of it, much less anything like going with you."

Link didn't know what to say. From the little bits of info he'd gleaned in regards to the princess left him utterly unprepared for the meeting with this spirited, passionate little member of the royal family. He stared into the water which reflected the blushing sky over their heads and the strangely elongated walls. His own rippling face seemed apprehensive and unsure, while Zelda's gaze was youthfully serene and thoughtful. He was sure she glimpsed something beyond mere reflections when he met the eyes of her water-bound twin.

"I must go now and prepare for dinner with my father," she said, rising from her place.

The boy suddenly realized that Impa was standing behind them, her arms folded in what seemed to be her usual stoic fashion; he jumped up and rubbed his wet hand against the back of his tunic.

"The hour is getting late. You will stay here for the night, and tomorrow you can start out," the princess commanded, though she there was a streak of pleading in her voice.

He glanced first from Zelda, to her attendant, then to Navi. Did he really want to remain there when he knew the evil man who slew the Great Deku Tree was not far away?

"That's a good idea, Link," his guardian whispered. "You'll need to get a good night's rest before setting off again."

"Okay." He nodded.

The silvery-haired woman eyed the weapon on his back. "Your Highness… Perhaps the young lad would also benefit from a few lessons with the blade."

Zelda's eyes lit up. "I hadn't thought of that. Thank you, Impa!" She clapped her hands once and then put them behind her back as she faced the boy. "You would like some instruction, would you not, Link?"

"Uh, sure," he replied, idly reaching back and fingering the scabbard of the Kokiri blade.

"Good, it's settled then! I will have a word with the captain and ask him to see to it." She gave him a secret little smile. "I'll be back later."

With a slight, courteous bow of her head she made quick, light steps toward her quarters. The boy suddenly registered her mention of a captain and assumed she meant the man who had detained him earlier. He raised his hand and parted his lips to protest but she was already too far away.

"I trust you have worked through those meat pies already and will soon be hungry again," Impa said, staring down at him much as she had upon their first meeting. "I will send someone presently who will show you where to go."

With that she followed the princess inside the castle; Link watched her and was a bit surprised that she didn't just vanish. He wandered around the courtyard a bit and then finally settled down on the grass. Navi similarly alighted on a flower with broad petals the same deeply pink color as the clouds overhead. She kept her eyes on her charge, whose own vision was first fixed on the doors through which the two females had gone, then to the sky and the courtyard itself.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but we can do it. I'll always be by your side," she murmured. "It's a fine thing we already have one stone, isn't it?"

He responded not for several heartbeats. Slowly lowering his gaze, he fixed upon her eyes which nearly seemed to be drowning in all but overwhelming feelings of fervor, excitement, anger, apprehension, and a glimmering of pride. Even now, after just a few days together she felt he had already grown so much.

"Is this what the Great Deku Tree knew would happen?" he asked, reaching down and lacing his fingers on the slightly sharp blades of grass. His eyes shifted between her and the ground.

The fairy rose so she could directly face her charge. "Undoubtedly he did."

"But why? Why didn't he do something?!" The boy pulled at the tufts of grass, his brimming eyes flitting to his guardian. "Maybe then he…he…wouldn't h-have died!"

Navi's expression flickered with sympathy and sorrow. She returned to the flower upon which she'd just been resting and used a quick, gentle motion woven with magic to separate the stem from the rest of the small plant. Gathering the rosy bloom in both hands, she again floated up and held it before the child.

"Link, listen to me. Our world is shaped not only by fate but by our decisions. Look at this flower."

She stretched forth her hands and the bloom that seemed much too big for her to hold. Its five soft little petals leaned protectively around the almost fluffy looking anthers and a singular pistil, all surrounded by five sepals which seemed just like smaller, green petals. The little fellow's first wistful thought was how Saria loved such darling blossoms.

"A short time from now this flower will die, yet I still made the decision to pluck it. You made a decision to venture into the Great Deku Tree, to find and slay the creature within. It was the wicked man of the desert who decided to curse him for his own selfish gain, but the Great Deku Tree sacrificed his own essence so that the life of the forest would go on. All these things happened because someone made a choice. These choices can be for good or bad."

His fingers slowing at their tugging motions, the boy's gaze rose as he fastened it to his fairy, his mouth open in a flattened "o" shape.

"When you fought with and played naughty pranks on Mido, when he called you names and belittled you, and when Saria worked in the village garden and taught you how to make friends with the animals, you were all following paths of your own making. Not only does the path you determine affect your life but those with whom you have contact. I have also made my decisions." She looked sadly down at her alabaster hands. Then, lifting her eyes once more, she contemplated him seriously. "Everyone makes these choices and too many of them lead to regret. The hardest thing is not in knowing the right thing to do, but in following the right path without deviation."

His gaze slowly shifted from her to the deeply rose-colored bloom. It was beautiful yet, its soft petals supple; it reminded him of so many things—of the princess, the ranch girl Malon, the courtyard and castle itself, Sarelle, the green plains he'd traveled, and of the adults who had helped or otherwise influenced him. Gently he eased the flower from her hands, realizing how much smaller it looked when he held it.

"Will you always be with me?" he queried quietly, his eyes still on the flower.

"I will always be with you," she replied, coming nearer and placing her tiny hand under his chin. Her own eyes were quivering with emotion. "I promise."

The boy rose and drew near the clear waters of the stream, where he placed the pink bloom and watched it float away. He inhaled deeply and turned to face his fairy, his eyes still a mite uncertain but his jaw firmly set; he said naught as he gazed in a slightly unfocused manner at a youthful countenance that belied the centuries its owner had seen.

"Oh, the Great Deku Tree would be so proud," she whispered, her voice with the barest hint of volume that Link could not distinguish.

He squatted at the stone edge of the stream and gazed therein. "Navi… Do you suppose I could pick some of the flowers for Princess Zelda?"

She floated to his shoulder and perched thereon. "I don't know that we could just go and pick a whole bouquet here. We'd have to ask for permission. The princess did tell us this was her little spot, after all."

"Oh, yeah…" His movement caused a few green blades to fall into the water.

Hurried steps sounded from the passage that led to the other courtyard; Link stood so quickly his head spun for a few seconds. Approaching him was a youth with perhaps a couple years and just a few inches on the forest child; his simple garb consisted of white shirt, leather jerkin and dirty blue hose. His dark brown hair, though cropped fairly short, fell in loose curls that bounced with each leaping step. His serious demeanor turned into a grin when he spotted the boy in green.

"Captain Arkenus has summoned you!" he exclaimed as he cantered up. "He told me to bring you back immediately."

"O-okay," Link replied, feeling his heart hammer faster at mention of the man.

He dashed back to the bench, grabbed his pack, and then followed the cheery youth. His brows lowered as he worried about what the captain would say to him; his only consolation was that Navi was ever by his side. The elder boy glanced at him a few times.

"Are you worried?" he asked.

Link's head jerked up, briefly looking toward him. He replied a bit hesitantly, "Yeah, I guess so."

"You don't have to be afraid of the captain unless you've done something wrong. He's the most skilled knight in all the land! You, um…didn't do anything like that, did you?"

"Well…" the green-clad boy hemmed. "He thought I was and I guess I wasn't supposed to be there, but I was just doing what the Great Deku Tree told me…"

"Um…okay. That was confusing," the youth said, shrugging. "Say, my name's Orrick. What about you?"

"Mine's Link."

"Put 'er here, Link."

The younger boy's eyes crinkled and he began to voice his confusion when he noticed that Orrick had extended his hand. Link also put forth his and they shook while keeping their pace.

"We'd best not dawdle. The captain does get pretty annoyed if his orders are not promptly followed. Hey, I'll race you!"

The forest child only needed a split second to dash after him. Of course Orrick had the advantage all around, but it was a race in the spirit of fun rather than victory. Link actually guessed correctly about a couple of turns they made, though he really couldn't be sure that he'd passed that way before.

They approached the garrison and the page led Link past the crowded, raucous dining hall where the guards supped, to a much smaller yard with a lone occupant. The green-clad boy halted mid step as he recognized the man by his golden helm. The captain stood, his back to them and his right hand on a rack of training swords; he looked much the same as he had before, covered in mail and armor. Link swallowed what seemed to be his tongue as the man turned, fixing his flinty eyes first on the messenger and then upon the little hero.

The page bowed his head to his superior. "I have brought him, sir!"

"Thank you, Orrick. You may go to your meal now."

After another slight bow the youth was gone. Link would have felt completely abandoned had Navi not been at his side. He spared a quick, pitiful, unnoticed glance toward Orrick and then quickly swiveled his eyes back to the man. The captain was already a couple of steps nearer and viewing him with the most forbidding expression imaginable. Link choked on his air again as he viewed the knight and noticed something he hadn't before—Captain Arkenus had only one whole arm. Where his left hand should have been was instead a half-mechanical, half-magic-infused claw resembling the shape and placement of fingers.

"So you want to learn the way of the sword do you, boy?"

He wrenched his eyes from the metal hand, again focusing on the fearsome face. "Y-yes…sir…" the child faltered, deciding at the last second to add that term of respect Orrick had utilized. "C-can you teach me, s-sir?"

"Do you have years to practice and learn?" the man returned, sharply.

He picked up one of the blunted practice blades and held it at a slightly upturned angle. Link's silence was very telling as he goggled at the knight.

Captain Arkenus grunted. "Hmph. Draw your blade, boy."

Link withdrew the weapon entrusted to him; no sooner than he'd done so the man was upon him, struck his hand with the flat of his blade, causing the child to loosen his grip. The next split second saw the round tip of the knight's sword at the throat poking out of the green tunic.

"Your first lesson: never let your guard down. Do not let your enemy surprise you."

The captain withdrew his weapon and gestured to the Kokiri sword. With his shield still on the other arm, Link darted forward and snatched his blade in a hand that still smarted. He jumped back warily and watched his opponent while trying to find a comfortable grip on the hilt. The knight aimed several heavy blows at him, all of which he absorbed by his shield; his right arm was beginning to feel numb. Before he could quite tell what was happening, the Deku Tree's protection was gone and his sword was again flying from his hand.

"How do you expect to defeat your opponent if you do not attack?! You have a blade; use it if you are not afraid!"

Link seized both items again and scrunched his face in frustration. He noted how the man made some circling steps and those he copied so as to remain facing Captain Arkenus. He aimed a blow, loose and clumsy, which the knight effortlessly blocked and then followed up with a sure jab. He knocked the boy to the ground and again set his weapon at his throat.

"Your moves are slow and awkward! I know your next move before you complete it." He allowed the child to rise and catch the breath knocked from his lungs. "When you strike, strike quickly, mercilessly! If your enemy guesses your attack patterns he will surely slay you!"

The green-clad boy wiped at the sweat and grime that clouded his brows, his pride aching as much as the places which were already beginning to bruise. His jaw set firmly and his eyes resolute, he tried again, only to find himself weaponless once more. The captain turned his back for a few seconds as he returned to the rack and selected a different practice sword; Link scrambled up, secured his weapon and launched himself forward, only to find himself on his face in the dirt again as his opponent evaded him completely.

"What are you doing, boy?! Do you expect to defeat me by brute force? How foolish! You'll never get behind my defenses by such methods."

He half turned his back as he waited for the child to scramble to his feet. Link growled under his breath, which was very short by that time, glared balefully at the captain and closed his fingers around the hardly worn brown hilt. Though he kept trying he was ever unsuccessful; his ire mounted and his weary muscles and all the bumps and bruises ached. The ebony skies of night overcame them but he noticed it not; the training area was lit with several torches which cast all manner of bizarre shadows to both ground and walls.

"You are not trying, boy!" Captain Arkenus reproached the green-clad child after disarming him again, his scarred eyebrow twisting downward more than the other. "The one who gave that blade to you was mistaken to trust you with it!"

Link's face contorted still further and from his mouth emanated a half-strangled cry as he shot forward, the point of his weapon extended. The knight deflected the pitiful onslaught with one swift motion, sending the sword of the forest into the wooden frame holding the practice blades, and the boy to his knees. The captain returned his to the rack, effortlessly yanked out the child's sword and threw it to the dirt at Link's side.

The man made a short sweeping motion with his metal arm. "Your skills are as effective as a swallow without beak!" he declared with curled lip.

The little fellow pounded the dust with his fist once and struggled to rise amid the protests of shaking arms. His shield lay forgotten a few feet away. "I… I… I'm…n-not…!"

"Link, you're too flustered!" his guardian whispered hastily as she took hold of his ear. "You should listen to what he's told you! You're too small to beat him like you've been trying. Take advantage of it and find a way to use his size against him!"

She was doubtful he would actually heed her words, but she continued quietly firing the advice near his ear. She was quite safe from any wayward blows, her protection the inherent magic bestowed on all fairies; however, she flinched and pursed her tiny lips whenever her charge took a tumble. Her attempts to clean away some of the dirt around his eyes met with annoyed protest and a quick sweep of the hand.

Again the boy struck and again the golden-helmed knight flung him back, except this time he miscalculated the strength of his blow, tearing a gash in the child's forearm. Somehow Link had managed to keep hold of his sword even as he stared at the three-inch laceration from which blood issued. His eyes bearing the wounded look of a deer with an arrow through its leg, he cast his glance back to the man. Captain Arkenus didn't move and his glare was more of a stunned look as the practice blade hung limply in his good hand.

Was this the opening the knight had so vexed him to find? Link knew naught but whether it was some sort of clever trap, but there was nothing more he could lose in trying. Barely finding the strength to rise from his knees and his arm throbbing worst of all, he darted forward and reached up to put the sharp edge of his own blade at the man's arm of flesh and blood. Captain Arkenus finally seemed to realize what was happening; he stood motionless for another second and then with his claw he brushed the child's weapon from its place against his mail.

Link blinked. Had he really done it? Had he actually managed to land a blow on the captain whom it seemed nothing could touch? Navi's excited voice at the side of his head and the sound of her rapid movements in the air told him it had to be true.

"That's enough," the knight declared, his voice sounding suddenly hoarse and his eyes growing fierce again to hide the tiredness that lay beyond. "The lesson is over." He cast his weapon away without bothering to return it to its place and headed for a door which the light of the torches did not quite reach. He turned his head slightly. "Have the healer tend to you and eat something." Then he disappeared into his quarters.

The child gawked after him for some moments and wondered for just a few seconds what made the captain so brusque before his mind turned to a more imminent matter. He could barely return his weapon to its sheath and he bit his lip to keep from crying out as he clutched at his arm. He spared no glance for his concerned fairy as he stumbled for the door through which he'd earlier come; however he stopped in his steps as he noticed some guards crowding at the exit.

"Hey, that was a good show!"

"No one has been able to do that to the captain, especially so fast!"

"Where'd you come from, kid? Did you use some kind of magic to fight?"

"Maybe now the captain won't train us so hard if he's busy teaching you…"

"You don't suppose he let the kid win?"

With all his irritation and resentment toward the golden-helmed knight, Link's single desire was to prove to both the man and himself that he was the right choice for the blade he held. Now that it was over there was no glint of victory in his eyes; he felt very empty inside, his arm stung like a thousand ant bites, his stomach turned mad flip-flops—whether from hunger or exertion he did not know—and he wanted to scream at the congratulatory exclamations of the men. He opened his mouth, but all that escaped was a choking little sob. He pressed his lips firmly together and raised the slightly bloodied fingers of his right hand to cover them.

The guardian fairy pressed against his neck, below his ear. "It's all right, Link," murmured she, soothingly stroking the side of his face. "It's over now. It's all over. Take some deep breaths, okay?"

He did but his inhalations were more wheezes than anything else. He wished he'd never seen the captain of the guard, never come to the castle, never had to wrap his hand around the hilt of a sword.

"Come on now, Link. We have to get you cleaned up."

With her encouragement sounding in his ears, the little fellow brushed past the soldiers, feeling much like he was walking an ugly gauntlet. Then he glimpsed Orrick and a few other boys who were all trying to get a look as they craned their necks around and squished against the men. At least there was one face he recognized amongst all those goggling strangers.

"Would you like me to show you the way to the healer's?" questioned Orrick after trotting up to the other boy.

Link stared at him for some seconds as if he didn't comprehend the inquiry, but then he nodded, his whole expression an emotionless mask. The page studied him for a moment and appeared as though he wanted to say something, but he closed his open mouth and led the younger child out of the garrison and across the stone courtyard to the residence of the castle's healer.

"What's this now?" exclaimed the blonde-haired, not quite middle-aged woman as she opened her door. "Have you boys been fighting?"

"No ma'am! That is…I wasn't," Orrick corrected himself. He gestured to the green-clad fellow at his side. "But he and the captain were. He won at the end, too!"

The buxom healer tsked as she ushered them inside. "It's one thing for grown men to spar together for training, but pulling a little boy like this into their games is just too much! How old are you, child? Ten? Eleven?"

She bade him sit on one of her stools and gently took his arm in her soft hands. Link's eyes rose to meet hers and he managed a wan little smile.

"I'm ten," he replied quietly.

She clucked as she bustled to some shelves and then returned with a cloth and a couple vials. She uncorked one which was filled to a quarter with red liquid. "Drink this," she told him.

Orrick was still lingering about. "But I'm training too and I'm twelve," he protested.

While Link downed the potion, she turned to the page with scornful expression. "But you do not come to me all banged up, young man." Then her face fell and she sighed. "…I suppose the captain is concerned our peace will not last."

The pain in Link's arm already faded to some degree and the flow of blood had ceased. He grimaced, screwed his eyes shut and grit his teeth as she prepared to dab the smeared, somewhat dried blood with a wet cloth, but he found the pain tolerable; the wound clean, he could see that it was partially healed already. He stared at it in befuddled amazement while she applied some yellowy-brown ointment and wrapped his forearm with a strip of clean white bandage.

"There you are, little warrior child. It'll feel as good as new in a couple of days. You take care of yourself now, you hear? I don't want to see you at my door again in such a state."

Link turned his eyes up at her. "Thank you," he said simply. He felt his arm gingerly and smiled a little that it didn't make him flinch.

Once outside of the healers' quarters, the other boy faced him with the same awed expression. "Say, are you hungry? Have you had dinner yet?"

The forest child nodded and then shook his head. "I'm hungry, yes!"

"Okay! I'll show you the way to the kitchen. Everyone else is finished by now, but I know they'll have some nice tidbits for us. Come on!"

Link's spirits rose at the thought of something to fill his belly; though his legs still ached from his previous exertion he dashed after the page until they found themselves in the kitchens. The cook with the funny hat who had been so concerned over the milk delivery earlier that day viewed Orrick with a little frown.

"What are you doing here, you? You've had your meal! Don't expect to get any more from me tonight!"

"But what about my friend, Link? He hasn't had anything!" the page protested. "He's been training with Captain Arkenus and he told him to get something to eat after." His little grin could be described as nothing short of crafty.

"Is that so?" the skinny man visually digested the boy's appearance and the fresh bandage on his arm. "Hmm. You look like a pepper, a thin, green bell pepper. Have I seen you before?"

"Uhm, maybe?" the boy muttered in reply.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter. If you were busy with the captain then I will allow you this one time. On that table over there you will find the leftovers. But…!" he warned them as the boys began sidling in that direction. "You will not create a mess in my kitchen. If you drop anything you will immediately clean it up, is that understood?" His brows lowered so much that they were actually visible beneath his distinctly shaped hat.

Both boys gave hasty assent and he left them to their own devices, though he cast occasional glances their way to reassure himself that they were behaving. Meanwhile, Link and even Orrick crammed and chewed as quickly as they could; they consumed some stuffed pig here, a bit of cheese there, fruit and cucco on one side, bread and pottage at the other end, and all manner of other delectable edibles.

As Link reached for a small slice of what he thought to be pie, his new friend put forth his own hand in caution. "You don't want to eat that. It tastes awful!"

Curious, the boy in green had to try it anyway. "Pfffath!" he choked, spitting the offensive morsel back onto the table. "Yuuuck! What is that?!"

"It's a new pastry the head cook tried. You see why there's so much of it left?"

Link returned that portion to its former resting place and tried his best to hide the bit he'd barely begun chewing, which he noticed had little green specks. He stayed quite clear of the particular creation thereafter and moved on to a few sugared plums left in a cute, shallow dish with a bunch of grapes serving as the handles.

"Oh, you're eating so fast!" Navi chided. "Slow down a little!"

Some minutes later, both boys were rubbing their tummies and burped almost simultaneously. Orrick grinned broadly, as did Link, except his morphed into a huge yawn. The page brushed his mouth against his sleeve. Of the two, the younger child had consumed more than his companion; Orrick had eaten as many of the different leftover morsels, only in smaller portions.

The skinny chef was glancing their way again and Orrick hissed, "C'mon, let's get out of here before he figures out we've not eaten his pie!"

They sprinted up the short flight of steps and when they were a safe distance from the kitchens, the page slowed and turned to Link. "I guess you've seen some of the castle, haven't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so," replied he, yawning once more.

"I couldn't show you everything anyway. There are some places I'm not allowed to go, but hey! Would you like to see the place I like best?"

Navi appeared doubtful but her charge nodded.

"Okay, come on!"

Again they were off, though Link had more trouble in keeping pace. They mounted several flights of roughly hewn stone stairs until they ended at the top of one of the castle's battlements. Navi's glow had proven enough to light their way, but she dimmed it as soon as they emerged. The green-clad child halted and craned his neck while he viewed the inky sky with eyes that suddenly didn't feel sleepy anymore.

"Wow…! Oh Navi, wow!" he gasped, hardly raising his voice above a whisper as if he were afraid of disturbing those heavenly bodies. "Wow! Oh wow!"

"It is a most beautiful sight," she agreed, her own voice just barely tickling his ear.

In the woods he'd seen only glimpses of the night skies through gaps of the tree canopies, and he realized now that during those first three nights he'd spent since leaving the forest he'd been too preoccupied or scared or sick, or simply didn't have a proper view to really notice the beauty of the stars. It was as if every candle, every flame, every glimpse of light large or small had flown to the dark and distant heavens where they could look back and wink at the world. He was sure those thousands of little glimmers, each one just a little different from the other, could make some pretty nice pictures if only someone connected them

"Hey, Link, come over to the side," Orrick beckoned.

"Wow, oh wow!" the child murmured again. His head was tilted so far back that he nearly lost balance.

Navi tapped at base of his neck. "Link, he's trying to get your attention. Link!" She tugged at his collar.

The young page marched up to him and shook him by the arm. "Come on! You have to see what I brought you up here to see."

The boy in green lowered his head. "Oh, sorry."

He allowed Orrick to draw him near the edge of the battlement where he acquired another fantastic view. With the castle behind them, the city sprawled expansively before them was primarily dark, save for little spots of light here and there which reminded Link a good deal of the sky above. Every few moments he thought he glimpsed some movement against one of those tiny beacons, but it was too far away and the shadow passed to quickly for him to be quite sure.

"It's like a whole different world at night, don't you see?"

"Yeah, it's great," Link replied simply. He pointed to one of the lights as he leaned out through one of the crenels. "Look, that one's moving!"

Orrick followed the extended finger. "Probably someone walking about with a lantern. There's another one over there. And another over that way."

As fascinating as it was to watch for the moving lights and to try and decide which streets had more lanterns, Link's eyes were drawn to the skies again as if with the irresistible power of a magnet. The moon, full and brightly white in all her glory, hung to the eastern side of the world, just above the barely distinguishable silhouette of a great, cone-shaped mountain. He recalled how curious he had been over the nighttime light that sometimes filtered through so many leaves to finally strike the forest floor and how Saria told him of its origin. He stared at the moon for a good minute and he was beginning to see shapes and a certain design in its surface. He couldn't decide whether he liked gazing upon the moon or the stars better.

"Here you are, Link!" exclaimed a new, female voice.

Page Orrick was first to turn and he almost fell to the ground. "Y-Y-Your Highness!" he gasped. He fell to one knee and used a hand to flail madly at his friend's leg.

The forest boy lowered his head and slowly turned. His beaming face brightened still further as he recognized the princess and her attendant, though the girl looked a bit different than when last he saw her. Her garb was more elaborate and bore some jewels and her lovely hair was almost completely hidden by a pink and white headdress, but she still smiled at him with the same serious mouth below the same upturned little nose.

"Hullo," said he.

"Get down, Link!" the elder child hissed. "What's the matter with you?! You have to bow!"

Zelda placed one hand to lips that curved with amusement; the other she held out as she stepped forward. "No, it's all right." She placed her fingers over his colder ones and leaned closer to whisper, "I forgot to tell you, Link, that I have something to show you tomorrow morning before you leave. Don't forget, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay." Glancing to the heavens for one brief second, he focused back on her and asked, "Do you want to look at the stars with us?"

The princess' face expanded happily. "Ooh!" she cried, and then caught the eye of her attendant. Turning her head toward Impa for a moment, her expression sobered. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I cannot," she said, her eyes more miserable than if she'd been put on a diet of bread and water. "I only came up to tell you and I can't linger. I'm sorry, Link. Good night."

"You boys go to bed now too," she of the silver hair bade them as the princess began her descent.

"Y-yes, Lady Impa!" Orrick stammered in reply.

After the two ladies departed, he rose from his crouching position and gave his friend quite the incredulous eye. "I can't believe you got away with that!"

"With what?" Link repeated blankly.

"She's the princess! It is extremely disrespectful not to bow before royalty. Don't you know that?"

"No. Why do you do it?"

Shaking his head, the page pressed his palm against his face. "It's just what you do, that's all!"

The younger child shifted his gaze to the stars again. "Does that mean I should too, Navi?" he muttered.

"It is the custom," his fairy replied.

"How did you meet the princess, anyway?" Orrick questioned eagerly; for him the delights of gazing upon the city had waned with a new prospect to puzzle him.

"I…um just met her…around," he answered absently, his mind once more focusing on gazing heavenward.

The boys stayed out just a few more minutes, about as long as they dared before they thought someone might come after them, but the page had to first tear Link away from the sights that so fascinated him, a task easier said than done. They scurried down the steps, whereupon Orrick led his friend to his tiny room. He pointed to the second pallet on the floor.

"That's Xando's bed, but he's gone to Kakariko with some of the soldiers for a week. You can have it for now."

Link carefully set his pack next to the wall by his assigned blankets and let his boots fall where they might. His eyes were closed before he had quite reached a horizontal position.

"Hey, Link? Really now, how did you get to meet the princess?"

No response issued from the slightly open mouth of the other child; his cap had come off and his hair would later be full of straw and who knew what else, but he slept the slumber of one who had met destiny and refused to let it overcome him. In the middle of the night when he clenched his fists and moaned, Navi floated over him and shook one diminutive hand over his head. He dreamed of the moon and of great mountains towering above him.


	11. Of Farewells and Magic

Someone was leaning over him with a lengthy blade that gleamed brighter than the moon that he still saw in his dreams. His eyes felt as though they were glued shut, but when he finally managed to crack the lids he could not see for the glare. Something small with membranous wings danced momentarily between him and the glinting blade.

"Navi…" he slurred, his tongue feeling thick and dry.

While extremely disoriented at first, he realized at last that he was on his back and struggled with complaining muscles to turn to his side. The material on which he lay crinkled and he was finally able to make out some drab green-gray blankets which were all but a few inches from his face. He sensed more than saw his guardian fluttering over him and he remembered where he was. What he thought was a sword being held above him was instead a shaft of early morning sun entering through the small, oblong aperture in the wall; the shadow behind, which he'd barely glimpsed, turned out to be the other boy.

Rising, he noticed that Orrick was just finished shrugging into his jerkin. The page glanced to him. "That's why I always sleep the other way. The sun makes such an awful glare! I was going to tell you about it last night but you fell asleep before I could."

Link mumbled something unintelligible, blinked several times and scratched his head.

"I have to go sweep the outer courtyard. Do you want to come?"

Yawning, the forest child rubbed his eyes and then replied, "Uh, sure, I guess so."

He fumbled with his own boots, slipped the baldric and sword over his head and staggered after his friend. In the great stone courtyard only a few soldiers and a couple of servants were stirring and the sun hadn't yet reached the worn stones. Link stood and hugged himself while Orrick poked himself into a door in a slight alcove and came out with a small assortment of brooms and a flat-bottomed scoop. The page immediately began sweeping; the other child also hurried over to join, for at least it was a way to stay warm. Ten minutes later they were coughing on the dust and beginning to perspire. A few of the other page boys came out and lent their young muscles to the task; they glanced every so often at the child in green but they did not approach.

"There!" Orrick declared. "Finished!"

They deposited the heaps of grime and muck they'd swept at the refuse pile behind the stables, which in turn would be carted away later in the day. Orrick threw their tools back into the little room in which they were kept and then trotted out to the training yard and tidied the racks of weapons and spears. Link accompanied him, but in that place he hung back at the doorway they'd entered as he remembered the evening before. He shivered as the chill morning air came over him again and clung to the hope that he wouldn't have to see the captain of the guard again. To distract himself, he wandered over to one of the wooden dummies nearby and practiced knocking it over. Little did he know that a pair of dark, troubled eyes viewed him from behind a half-closed shutter.

As the page finished his work he turned to his friend. "I bet you're hungry, right?"

"Yes!" he replied, placing his hand over a stomach that had been empty for too many hours.

"Come on, to the kitchen, then! If we help Mr. Tecave with carrying the food, he'll let us eat what we want after. Oh, but first I have to take water to the servant's entrance for the maids to take up to the rooms."

Link lent his hands to another chore, consisting of hauling some heavy stone jars to a certain spot that Orrick indicated. Through their mutual efforts they completed the task in half the time and they were immediately afterward scampering down the steps to the warm den of a kitchen.

"What do you mean they won't eat it?! My omelets are renowned over the whole continent!" raged the voice of the almost purple-faced cook.

"I'm sorry, sir!" replied a miserable, plump assistant who held two trays of breakfast. "The maid said they would only have desert rabbit cooked until it was almost burned…sir! And she said they looked like they'd cut her head off if she didn't bring it to them the next time."

Mr. Tecave let out a whole string of words colorful enough to make even the young men from Faron blush. "And that is what happens when you invite savages to rest at your bosom!" He turned to his chopping board and stared wrath into the eyes of anyone who dared look in his direction.

"What about these eggs?" the poor, foolish fellow asked.

"Throw them out! Give them to the dogs! I don't care! Get them out of my sight, you imbecile!"

A tomato followed the assistant as he made one of the fastest beelines up those stairs; he all but collided with the two boys who had only descended two thirds of the steps. His fleshy cheeks reddened further and his eyes smoldered with transferred anger.

"What in the demons' name're you little idiots doing here?!"

"We were just coming down," Orrick insisted. "Don't throw those out, Isacar, please! Give them to us!"

"Fine. Whatever! Just take the blasted things and get out of here before we decide to serve you up to the Gerudos!"

He shoved the plates into their hands and stormed back down the steps; the boys were so unprepared that they very nearly lost what was to be their breakfast. Balancing themselves and their burdens and with Orrick leading the way, they hastened to a corner of the kitchen garden; there they consumed the delicious, though somewhat cold omelets intended for those silly guests who seemed not to know a fine meal when they saw one.

Licking his fingers and using his sleeve on his mouth, the page grinned. "That was even better than I could have hoped. Usually Mr. Tecave sends the other pages and me on all sorts of errands before he lets us eat, even though it's always worth it for the things he makes."

"They taste different than eggs. What did he use?"

"Cucco eggs, of course. What else would he use in an omelet anyway?"

"Oh." Link recalled the eggs he'd helped Sarelle gather. They'd been much larger than those of the quails which the forest children consumed.

"I suppose we should return these plates. If I just sneak them inside no one'll notice me."

Link snatched one last little bit of the breakfast and watched as the other boy gathered the dishes in such a hurry that he came very near to having a broken mess on his hands. He followed as Orrick ran to the hall where the king and others had not long before completed their own omelets and bacon. The child clad in green salivated as the scent of the meat caught his nose; he wished they'd been able to capture a few pieces of that too. He hoisted himself to the window and watched as his friend slipped in and set the two trays on one of the tables.

"Ah, so there you are!" exclaimed one of the guards who stood at the entrance of the room.

The page jumped about a foot and spun about; half of the dishes he held clattered to the floor in pieces. From without the room, Link also jerked and abruptly slipped from his position at the window, whereupon he struggled to regain it.

"Yes, you!" the soldier continued. "You were supposed to be at the stables ten minutes ago! If you do not hurry the captain will find you absent and your life won't be worth living. You'd better hurry! He's in a foul mood this morning."

Orrick mumbled something and scurried outside. He glanced at his friend; the green clad boy felt bad because he was positive he was the reason for the dark cloud over the captain. He wished he could make recompense for it somehow.

"I'll come with you," he declared.

The elder boy grinned. "You're sure? The stables aren't the greatest place. It's pretty dark and you have to watch out for the horses, and it smells."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Link replied resolutely. "Besides, I know a little about horses." He was thinking of his time with Malon the day before.

Grinning, the page was off again, the shorter child at his heels. However, they went no further than the doorway leading back to the outer courtyard, their progress arrested by a figure half melted in the shadows.

"The princess awaits you, lad. Come with me."

Link's eyes flew to the woman of silver hair, the corners of his mouth drooping just a bit. He seemed as though he wanted to ask a question, but instead he pressed his lips together.

Orrick completed a gesture of respect in her direction and whispered aside to his friend, "I guess I'll see you a little later, Link?"

The forest boy nodded and they each followed their separate ways. Link had to scurry to catch up and stay with the purposeful, silent strides of the warrior woman, until she ceased movement and ushered him through the small corridor that led him to the princess' private garden.

Astonished, he found Zelda on her stomach on the perfectly cropped grass, where she gazed through a pair of almost gold-colored, elongated glasses at the flowers just before her. She seemed to feel his approach, glanced up and set down the peculiar glasses.

"Ah, there you are!" she said with a little smile on her lips. She rose to her feet and brushing a few naughty blades of green from her skirt. Drawing nearer, she seemed to remember her manners. "Good morning, Link."

He attempted to bow before her, but his feet were incorrectly placed and he very nearly fell very ungracefully on his face. "Um, hello, P-Princess Zelda, uh…Your Highness," he muttered, trying to hide the embarrassment that betrayed itself in his cheeks.

She giggled lightly behind her hand. "You know, you needn't be so formal with me. You weren't that way yesterday."

"Sorry…" he mumbled, rubbing his boot awkwardly on the grass. "Isn't that what everyone does?"

Zelda tilted her head and placed a couple of fingers at her mouth. "Yes, but I don't want you to." She raised her eyebrows and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have my permission to call me by name." She clasped her hands in a beseeching manner. "If you will…please?"

Who could argue with those pale blue eyes which could be as frigid as ice or as warm as the summer sky? Link was as obedient to their plea as a little puppy.

The princess beamed at him. "I read some texts last night and asked my father and his advisors about the other two Spiritual Stones. They thought I was just playing a game and all they told me was that the tribes of Hyrule held the artifacts; I already know that." She paused and scrunched her nose in annoyance. "But Impa told me of the Gorons, who live just up the mountain from her village, and that they are said to care for the Spiritual Stone of Fire."

Link felt the foreign word on his tongue. "Go-rons? What are they?"

Her smile brightened as she drew her fingers through the air. "Gorons are the hardy ones who live in the mountains. Their skin is rocklike, much like the minerals they mine, and they are nearly impervious to heat." The girl almost sounded like she was repeating a lesson, an experience which she enjoyed thoroughly. "They are very nice, too. We've had Gorons visit us here and they were kind, polite, and always smiling. You'll like them, Link. If you explain to their chief why we need it, he should agree to give it to you. My father did say he can be a bit touchy, so don't do anything to make him angry, okay?"

The little fellow nodded slowly. "So I have to go to the mountain of the Gorons? Is it that one out there?" He pointed in the general direction of the huge formation he'd noticed on a couple of occasions in the past two days.

"It's called Death Mountain," she affirmed. "And yes, it is where the Gorons live. Don't worry. You can find your way there from Kakariko Village, which rests at its foot. Impa will provide you with a map before you leave." She played with a lock of hair which had evaded the confines of her headdress. "Did Captain Arken give you a few lessons in swordplay? I asked him to specifically, as a favor."

Link's right hand immediately stole to his other arm and the bandage thereon as he began a hesitant nod.

The princess saw it immediately. "Did you have that last night?" she demanded. "I…never noticed…"

"Ye-es," he replied.

He had been thinking of removing the bandage, as the small wound was rapidly closing, but with all his exertions with Orrick he simply hadn't done so. She pressed forward and he allowed her to examine affected limb, with which she was very gentle. She peeled back the cloth and then removed it entirely.

"It doesn't look bad…I don't think," the princess mused. She turned her face toward the darkened entryway. "Impa, will you take a look at this, please?"

The warrior woman was behind them in a second; Link wondered if he would even be able to get used to how quickly and utterly silently she moved. Princess Zelda never batted an eye, therefore she must surely have been quite used to it. The attendant inspected his arm and prodded it with one finger to the center of the affected area. The boy didn't even flinch.

She of the silver hair nodded curtly. "Nothing is amiss. The arm is healing as it ought."

Zelda breathed quickly and beamed again. "Oh, that's good!" Then, with a little start as if she were suddenly remembering something, she turned up her head. "Is it time, Impa?"

"It is, princess."

The girl spun around to face him again, her expression suddenly resolute and almost fierce. "Come on, Link! There is something I must show you!"

She caught his hand and drew him toward the elaborate double doors, the designs on which the boy simply couldn't determine what they were meant to symbolize. She pulled him through a room which was decorated beautifully, though not ostensibly, with flowers, softly colored furniture, a few curtains and the little oddities and knick-knacks that made the place seem very homey. He only had a few seconds to notice the features of that room before she led him through another, decidedly more austere, but still possessing a few charms and the bright colors of several sprays of flowers. Link had not the time to realize it was her schoolroom, as evidenced by the rather large-sized table with leaves and swirls and other symbols carved all around its side, and by the half dozen or so matching chairs situated around it. She dragged him through that room as well and through a maze of corridors.

"Where are we going?" Link ventured to ask as they climbed a second set of stairs.

The princess replied, "We're almost there." She turned to him very briefly and placed one slightly trembling finger over her lips; her eyes spoke a very loud, clear warning but her voice was a mere whisper. "Shh! We must be very quiet or they'll hear us!"

They emerged through the doorway and the little hero could finally glimpse something more than the many corridors. Pillars jutted out just a bit from the walls, with occasional windows in between; before the children were the thick white rails of a balcony which extended in rectangular fashion all the way around the center of the room. When they approached the white marble and leaned over on the very tips of their toes they could see over into the room below.

Link glimpsed red carpet and immaculately gleaming floors on either side, he noted the guards in shining armor standing quite still and erect in two staggered lines, and he could just see the beginning of a set of stairs which surely had to lead somewhere important. Those thoughts lasted but a few seconds, as he then spotted something that caused him to pale, to clutch at the balcony with a grip of death, and to shudder almost convulsively. He made a little strangling, choking sound in his throat and it seemed as though his breath had stopped completely.

Below them, just assuming a kneeling position on the carpet before the shallow set of stairs was that very same olive-skinned intruder who had tried to coerce the green emerald from the Deku Tree. Closely around him stood six women of similar appearance, their faces partially covered, and each standing with legs apart and arms firmly crossed; but none of them even reached the shoulder of their leader. One of these exotic women was closer to the desert king than the rest, though she was not looking to him as the others were. Her clothes were as pale as his were dark and she was adorned with nearly as many jewel-like adornments as he was.

Voices and the sounds of clinking armor assailed the ears of those who were situated below, enough to block the boy's stifled anguish, but somehow the towering desert man sensed the disturbance above and swiftly lifted his head. For one half second Link met his deeply golden, malevolent gaze. The next second saw him vehemently propelling himself from the balcony and scrambling back toward the wall as he tried to escape from the sight. His eyes streamed with bitter tears and his mouth clenched so tightly he almost bit off his tongue. Struggling to breathe, he pressed his trembling palms to his face and curled in on himself.

A small hand came to rest on his arm; he jerked and attempted to shrink away still further until he finally realized, as if through a fog, that the pale fingers belonged to the princess. She knelt beside him, her own eyes overflowing with emotion and her mouth turned into a sorrowful little frown. She kept moving her lips, seemingly without making any sound.

The forest child turned his head away from her again and made to return his head to his knees, except his guardian was hovering just above. He wished at that moment she was about ten times larger so he could hug her. Instead, she flew up and placed one hand on either side of his nose and leaned closer.

"Breathe. Just breathe, Link," she whispered, closing her eyes and altering her glow to pulse in a slow, comforting fashion.

Her soft glow and tender touch had a calming effect upon the boy; though he still shook, he regained his breath and could finally comprehend the other sounds around him.

"I'm sorry…" the princess murmured, looking down at both hands in her lap. "I forgot what you told me… I'm so sorry, Link… I should have known!"

She was so sorrowfully apologetic that he couldn't hold the mistake against her for more than a couple minutes at most. He remained in that same position while he gathered himself together under Navi's feathery touch. He didn't even protest when Zelda slipped her warm, soft hand into his, clutching at his fingers with the same sort of grip which she'd had on the borrowed mask the day before. He returned the squeeze, glad that his grip was firmer than hers.

"Let's go back to my courtyard," she said, and rose to her feet.

Link was still shaky as he followed her whence they'd come, but he did find comfort in knowing he was putting some distance, though it certainly wasn't enough to completely satisfy him, between him and the evil desert man. Once he was able to see the sky again he stared up at it and breathed in the scent of the grass and flowers, which were as comfortable to him as the touch of the instrument in his bag.

"I'm really sorry," the princess murmured again. "I only wanted you to see…well, you know. That man was swearing his allegiance to my father, but I know it is only a ruse!" The desperation was creeping into her voice again as she clasped her hands miserably in her lap. "Please, you will still help me, won't you Link?"

He nodded immediately.

"Oh, I knew you would!" The determined little smile began overtaking her again as she looked again at Link. "There's something else I want to show you before you go."

She looked up and Impa was there again to hand her something. It was a small pouch which she opened to reveal a small instrument shaped like a potato. Link recognized it at once for what it was, as he in his satchel he had a similar item which was smaller and of a more earthy color. As blue as the sky, the instrument she held so carefully in both hands almost seemed to glow.

"The Ocarina of Time," the princess said quietly, reverently. "As one of the keys to open the path to the Sacred Realm, I will keep it safe with me."

He extended his fingers but stopped before they were halfway to the instrument. "Can I…touch it?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied and watched him expectantly.

The feel of it was cool, much like the ocarina Saria had given him, but unlike hers it seemed to vibrate minutely with something that he could only think of as music that only the soul could hear. The feeling surprised him at first and he withdrew his fingers, but after a moment he tried again.

Zelda smiled at his reaction. "It feels almost alive, doesn't it?"

"It feels so…strange," he said, coming up short with a way to describe what he thought.

"It is magical," she informed him further. "Did you know there is a story connected to the making of this ocarina? It is a beautiful tale. Would you like to hear it?"

He nodded and pressed his fingers still more over the instrument, trying to catch its inaudible song.

The princess' eyes gleamed and she wasted no time in settling into the tale, which had taken place when the kingdom of Hyrule was in its infancy. Zelda's skills as a storyteller not as descriptive as Saria's but she was quite good at doing the different voices. Link's attention was quickly entwined in the tale, as the hero of that age long past carved the ocarina from a bit of special blue stone a dragon had given him. The queen had blessed it with the power of the goddess and ever since then the royal family kept it in their possession, even through wars and other upheavals in the kingdom.

No sooner had Zelda pronounced an end to the tale, Link was suddenly aware of a presence behind him. Tearing his eyes from the magical instrument, he twisted his head around and saw Impa. She was holding his pack, which he had never noticed moving from its place at his feet, and which now looked to be a bit fuller than it had before.

"The morning is growing ripe, Your Highness. Your lessons await you."

As she looked up at her attendant, the princess' face fell and she immediately strove to make it neutral again. Turning back to her new friend, she said, "I suppose it is time for you to leave, too, Link. I wish you could stay here…" Her mouth tried to smile, but her eyes told him she was sorry to have to see him depart.

Link could not smile, as butterflies had suddenly taken his stomach captive. He nodded solemnly. "Okay."

Rising from the bench, he accepted his satchel from Impa and took a quick look at his fairy. Floating almost on level with his eyes, she returned his gaze and made a brief nod that seemed to tell him he was doing the right thing, however hard it was for him to leave.

"Please, Impa, mayn't we go with Link a little way?" the princess pleaded.

The woman made a motion of acquiescence and then moved behind the children as they walked slowly toward the exit to the courtyard. Zelda told Link any other details she could remember about the Gorons and the land in which they lived. Once more she expressed her wish that she could go on the adventure too, but it had no effect on the silently following Impa. The boy listened to everything she said, though some of it went over his head because he had trouble imagining what he had never seen. Nervousness threatened to overwhelm him, but the one comfort he could cling to was that at least Navi would remain with him.

The princess bid Link a hasty farewell and pressed a small, thick piece of paper into his hand. "Please come back when you have found the next Spiritual Stone," she said quietly. "If you show my note to the guards, they will let you in, okay?"

"Okay," he replied, taking a peek at the writing but deciding to decipher its elaborate strokes later.

"Good luck. I pray the blessings of the goddesses will be with you on your journey." Zelda pressed his hand and then drew back.

Impa fixed him in her stern gaze. "Your pack has a map. With it you and fairy should find no trouble in reaching Kakariko. Travel safely, lad."

Navi whispered something in his ear and Link looked first at the silvery-haired woman and then to the princess. "Thank you," he gulped.

He couldn't think of anything else to say to them and even a goodbye was something he couldn't bring himself to utter. He felt that lately he was always making farewells to someone, or missing the chance to do so completely. Well, this time he was sure that he would be returning a short while later and it was the one bright spot in all the sadness engulfing him.

He waved sadly to princess and attendant, turned and began making his way to the gate. He had to weave around the many people, animals and vehicles which all had their own destinations; this he did quickly, with a wary eye out for any Gerudo. Link had just passed through the portals and faced the road back to Castle Town, when a voice called his name. Stopping in his tracks and spinning around, he beheld a boy running toward him with one hand raised and the other clasping a bundle. It was Orrick, and he was upon Link in another few seconds.

"Are you…leaving?" he gasped between quick breaths.

"Yes," Link replied lamely. He wished again he did not have to say farewell, for he had found friendship with the other boy; it was something he had never known with the Kokiri boys, as they had either stayed away from him or joined Mido in tormenting him.

"Will you be coming back?" Orrick pressed further. "We never did make it to the stable, you know. I wanted to show you some other things too."

The little hero managed the tiniest of smiles at that prospect. "I'll be back. I just have to find something…for the princess. Then I'll come back."

The page looked a little less dejected. Then he noticed that Link's eyes were on the package in his hands. Remembering what he was supposed to do, he thrust the bundle toward the younger lad.

"Here. Captain Arkenus told me to give this to you."

Link stared at the bundle and held it gingerly by the knot that closed it, as if the formidable man was himself going to burst therefrom and scare whatever daylights the boy had left. He glanced up at his new friend doubtfully.

"Oh," said Orrick, putting one hand over his mouth. "I don't know if I was supposed to tell you it was the captain. He just pushed it into my hands and barked at me to give it to you. I was afraid he was going to yell at me for being late, but all he did was mutter something like, 'What is this world coming to when children must learn how to use a blade?' Strange, huh?"

The green-clad boy shrugged and then did his best to stuff the new bundle into his satchel. The result was a bulging pack which he could hardly close and which was considerably heavier on his back. Rather than giving in to his curiosity and opening the package from the captain, he faced his friend and remembered how the page had first greeted him.

"Bye for now, Orrick," he said, putting forth his palm. "Is this how you say goodbye too?"

"Yep, that's it," the older lad affirmed, taking the proffered hand and shaking it heartily. "Good luck on your journey, wherever you're going."

Link nodded his thanks and raised his hand in a last gesture of farewell. Then he turned and traveled down the road which took him through one last gate and then toward Castle Town. With Navi guiding him, he made his way through the confusing streets and the crush of people who paid no attention to him. He gave them similar consideration as he hurried along, finally arriving at the exit which let him out to the open fields. More people were constantly passing underneath that portal and under the scrutiny of the guards who stood there, and one small boy and a tinier fairy were rather lost in the crowd.

The little fellow just kept walking, breathing in the air of the fields, and enjoying being in the open again. The hectic pace of the city was worse than an anthill that had just been disturbed, and he didn't think he could ever get used to it no matter how many times he traipsed the streets. However, if it came right down to it, he supposed he could suffer those journeys through Castle Town if it was the only way to return to the castle and the princess.

"Slow down, Link!" the fairy called to him, though she had no trouble keeping up with him.

He didn't seem to hear at first as he continued to dash through the rough grass of the plain that stretched before them. Then his breath seemed to leave him and he had to slacken his leaping steps until he was walking once more. Those first few moments of being free under the sky again were short-lived, as the task with which he was burdened came once again to rest on his shoulders. It was like having wings to soar through the skies for just a short while, only to have the power of flight taken away and be bound to the ground for good.

"Do you know which way we're supposed to go?" Navi questioned, sensing the dampening of his mood.

He kicked at a hump of earth intertwined with grass roots. "No," he admitted. Throwing his eyes up toward Death Mountain, above which the sun was rising ever higher. "I guess we should go that way."

"That's right. Kakariko Village is nestled in the hills at the foot of the mountain. It looks like it is pretty far though, and it will probably take us all day to reach there on foot, if not more." The fairy bobbed in the air a few times as she spoke, also facing the immense mountain. Turning toward the boy again, she started and said, "But Link, what are you doing?"

He did not reply and continued trotting toward a few young trees gathered around the trickling of a small creek. Setting his pack aside, he pressed himself against the rocky sand of the shore and lowered his face to the water's surface. Navi caught up to him even before he took the first swallow and there she hovered and waited. She was tempted to scold him to hurry along, but closed her mouth before giving voice to the words. He was taking an age to satisfy his thirst, however.

"You have water in your pack, you know," she said when he had risen, the front of his tunic soaked.

"I know," he responded as he swiped at his dripping chin. "I want to save it."

Grabbing for his pack, he yanked it open and dug around for the map Impa had told him about. His hands were still damp as he handled the thick, almost leathery paper, but he did not seem to care. He traced his finger from the castle to their next destination, the name of which he managed to sound out after a couple of embarrassing minutes. Navi hovered above the map and pointed to where she guessed their approximate position to be. Then Link stuck his hand into his satchel again and fished around until he finally came out with another, smaller piece of paper. He unfolded it and for several minutes compared it to the large map, paying close attention to the rounded letters which gave directions.

"Malon's home is that way," he declared, looking up and in a direction which was not quite toward Kakariko.

"Link…" Navi began, trying to choose her words carefully. "What of the quest the princess gave you? She is counting on you."

The boy stuck out his lower lip as he glared back at his fairy. All his attempts at finding an excuse fell flatter than trampled grass, however. His mouth contorted into a determined frown, he shoved both maps back into his pack. He started to put the bundle from the captain with it as well, but changed his mind and instead worked at the large knot which held the package closed. He had it mostly undone and thrust his hand into the opening he'd made; the first thing that touched his fingers was something cool. With some exerted tugging, he finally managed to extricate the item from the bundle, and he held it up before him, completely perplexed as to its purpose. It was a shirt, that much he could tell, but it was made from small links of metal and considerably heavier than any tunic of cloth.

"What is this, Navi?" he queried, lowering the item to his lap as he looked it over further.

"It's chainmail. It is used for protection, sometimes in addition to armor. Are you going to try it on? It looks about the right size for you."

He nodded, found the neck hole and slipped it over his head, right over his tunic. The metal links of the shirt were hard to the press of his fingers but provided amazing flexibility, unlike the armor that the captain and his men wore. However…

"It's really heavy," he said, and let his shoulders droop in exaggerated fashion.

His guardian bit back an amused smile. "It is metal, Link. If it was cloth, it would be as light and offer as little protection from serious injury as your tunic. Your opponent's blow would have to be all the more forceful to pierce this chainmail."

The little fellow stood up and moved his arms experimentally. He pulled his sword from its sheath and swung it around in a direction other than his fairy. Ceasing his sweeping movements and bringing the weapon closer to stare at it, he frowned as though he was recalling when he'd last held the blade. He rubbed at the arm which the captain had injured, though the gash was practically healed. Then he returned the sword to its scabbard and drew the chainmail shirt over his head.

"It's too hot," he declared, and allowed the item to fall to the ground with a heavy-sounding thump.

"You'll have to keep wearing it to get used to it," Navi told him, sighing a bit. She hovered near the partially opened bundle. "What else is in here, Link?"

He poked his hand around some more and came out with several small bottles, their corks fitted firmly over dark crimson liquid. Holding one of the bottles up to the sunlight, he swished it around, thinking what an awesome color the liquid was. For one moment he wondered about its purpose, but then he remembered the draught that Dorin had forced down his throat after the attack of the bone children, and the potion which the healer had given him the evening before.

Lowering the glass vessel, he made a face and asked, "…Is this that medicine stuff?"

"Yes," replied the fairy, her expression the opposite of that of her charge. "Link, these bottles are very important for your journey and you must be careful with them. If one were to break when you threw your pack to the ground you might find yourself wishing desperately for the spilled potion later on."

"I'll be careful," the boy mumbled.

Turning his attention again to the half-opened bundle, he found nothing more inside it. He felt like kicking one of the potion bottles into the stream and delighting in either watching it float downstream or break against the rocks. Why had he expected anything exciting from the captain's stupid bundle, anyway?

"I think it's time I showed you a little trick about storing your things," his guardian said as she floated nearer his face.

Link's pointed ears perked at her words, yet he did not wipe the scowl from his face. However, he betrayed himself by the eager spark that leapt to his blue eyes. His fairy noticed his demeanor in the space of a heartbeat, but she made no acknowledgement of it. Instead, she touched one of the potion bottles, whispered a word through her diminutive lips, and watched the boy's astonished expression when the vessel shrank from sight.

"How'd you do that?!" he cried, his eyes as big as eggs and all pretenses of sulking gone. "Show me how! Show me!"

While a smile might normally have tugged at the corners of Navi's mouth, her expression was instead somber as she moved her hand and made the bottle jump back into visible existence as easily as she had made it disappear. The boy's eyes threatened to bulge out of their sockets and he could have fit a roast cucco into his gaping mouth.

"This," she said, "Is a fairy's trick of magic which I might teach you…only if you promise you will never misuse it."

Without hesitation he nodded, his eyes shining eagerly, expectantly.

The fairy landed on the bottle's cork and stared up almost woefully at her charge. "No, I mean you have to really promise me, Link. This is serious. It must be a promise you can never break."

His eyebrows took on a confused tilt and his mouth pulled downwards as he cocked his head in her direction. All his thoughts were impatient and centered on his desire to be able to imitate the magic she'd just performed; he did not even attempt to understand why she was so hesitant.

"Give me your word, Link," she said again, her gray-purple eyes probing deeply into his. "Put your hand on the sword the Great Deku Tree entrusted you with and promise me you will heed my words as if you were promising the Deku Tree himself!"

She acted as though she had a bee in her hair, Link thought. She could be quite insistent with him, but he'd never seen her so passionate about something so seemingly insignificant. Instead of questioning her, he merely reached back and withdrew his sword, gripping the hilt firmly as he thought of the Great Deku Tree giving it to him, of the horrific Gohma creature and the bone children who had met the blade, of the children he had threatened by withdrawing it, and of the golden-helmed captain whom he had faced with the same blade in his hand.

"I promise," he said, swallowing deeply.

As a child from the forest, he knew the penalty for saying something in the Deku Tree's name without honoring it. In her stories, Saria had impressed upon him the fact that Geon had used such words to bring more of the Kokiri to his side, and Link well knew his fate.

Navi took a quick breath and loosened her clenched hands. "Okay," she said and turned her head away as if she was ashamed of her seemingly unexplainable outburst.

After taking a moment to calm herself, she turned back to her charge, her expression void of the passion which had formerly consumed it. She flew up and pressed her hand against the boy's forehead, the magic of her touch enabled him to make use of her trick. Then she bade him touch one of the bottles, whisper a word to himself and think of the item shrinking to infinitesimal size.

"Away!" he mumbled under his breath, and much to his amazement, the bottle shrank to about half its original size.

"You have to keep concentrating or you won't shrink it enough," his fairy told him as she demonstrated again. "And to make it big again you merely reach out with your fingers, say 'Here!' and imagine it growing."

After several more tries, Link had the trick down well enough to get about the same result as she could. As happy as a horse that had just found an apple orchard, he kept shrinking and resizing the vessels with all the enthusiasm of a squirrel hoarding nuts.

"I think you have it now, Link," his guardian called to him. "You have caught on quicker than I would have thought. You must have magic running through your veins."

She suggested further that he store the contents of his bag in the same manner and he agreed readily, though it was more from a desire to use the magic she'd just taught him rather than thought of easing his burden during his journey. She explained that with the magic he could carry a great many things no matter their weight, and he simply had to call upon its name to find it in physical possession once more. However, she also cautioned him several times over that he was only to use her magic for the things he would carry on his journey and never for ill.

"Wise words, hoo hoo!"

Link jumped up and back at the strange new voice, finding himself a second later in the giggling waters of the tiny creek. Fortunately, he had already magicked away his things, or else in his tumble he surely would have broken or crushed something. Navi flew to him, an exclamation parting her lips. As he struggled up from his back, the thought occurred to him to draw his blade and this he did with a clumsy tug at its hilt. He held it up, his eyes probing the area around him for the source of the being who had spoken and fearing the worst.

The voice sounded again, "Hoot! I am not a creature of evil, little hero."

Lifting his eyes still further, the boy's eyes widened as he set them on a huge owl perched, if somewhat precariously, on one of the small trees growing around the creek. The bird had its dark eyes fixed upon him and was tilting its head this way and that. Link scrambled up from the creek bed, his thoughts whirling. Could the owl have possibly spoken to him?! The thought was so bizarre that he let his sword hand drop and his mouth hang open. He tensed when the bird lifted its wings and glided to rest on a large boulder a few yards away.

"Hoo hoot! Do you recognize me? I guided you through the plain when you lost your way," the owl said, removing all doubt from the child's mind as to its capabilities of speech.

The boy scrunched his eyebrows and pursed his lips, but the light of recognition first came to Navi. She leaned near his ear. "Link, you remember! When we got separated from Dorin and the others, a great big bird showed us which way to go!"

"Oh, yeah!" he said. His face relaxed and he returned his sword to its sheath.

"I am Kaepora Gaebora," the brown feathery creature told him. "There will be many hardships that await you, but don't be discouraged. I am here to lend you a wing whenever you need it most. But you'll never be alone with your fairy by your side. You'll do well to always heed her words."

"How can you talk?" Link queried. He started moving his head from side to side in imitation of the owl.

"By opening my mouth and letting the words out, hoo hoo!"

The boy's eyes went wide again, but then he grinned and laughed. However, before he, the great bird, or Navi could say anything further, their attention was diverted by a slight rustling sound nearing them and coming from just up the creek. While Link and his guardian were again put on edge, the owl remained on his perch, completely unruffled. However, before the two could get too agitated again, the source of this new disturbance made herself known, being a filly with creamy hair and sleek chestnut coat.

Link's expression eased and he smiled. "It's a little—" He paused and turned to his fairy. "It is a horse, isn't it, Navi?"

"Yes," she affirmed, and she too let out the breath she'd just begun holding.

The filly went straight for the water, whereupon she dipped her head and drank. Her ears flickered and her head flew up when she heard the boy moving towards her, and she skittered away. He attempted coming at her from different angles, making sure he did not step on any twigs or loose rocks, but he had no more success than the first time, as she kept her eyes on him every moment. Link stopped and stamped his foot, which sent the young horse a few paces further away.

"I think she is scared of you," his guardian said, hovering on level with his head and her own eyes on the filly. "Is there some way you can get her to trust you?"

The boy glared at the filly as the words sank in slowly. The color of the animal's coat reminded him of Malon and he wondered how she would get a horse to like her. He had no doubt she was proficient at the task but since she was not there, her knowledge was as useful to him as a brittle twig against the desert sorcerer.

"Here," he whispered, calling Saria's precious ocarina from the magical space in which he and Navi had entrusted it.

Putting the instrument to his lips, he began to blow notes as he tried to remember the song which the ranch girl had been trying to teach him. He squeezed his eyes shut, concentrating with all his might on the tune which skipped too quickly through his mind. Navi cupped her hands and leaned toward his ear, singing so softly that he barely registered the sound. Even with her help he only played about half the notes correctly, and if he hadn't been a mite short on breath he would have growled his frustration.

A soft, faintly moist touch made his eyes snap open. The little filly's nose, the owner of which seemed to have forgotten her shyness, was less than an inch from his and her dark brown eyes staring almost adoringly into his. It was such an abrupt surprise that he staggered backward a step, clutching the instrument so as not to drop it. The horse pressed closer again, lowered her nose and thrust it against his chest repeatedly. So much was the force of her affection that when he caught his heel on a stone, he fell backwards.

"H-hey!" he cried, though he was none the worse for wear, save the stinging of his skinned elbows.

The filly lowered her head and continued to nuzzle him, tickling his face and neck.

Navi's eyes crinkled and her pretty little laugh rippled through the air like the perfect, delicate sound of a tiny bell. "Oh, Link! She likes you now!"

The child stared up at the filly who was likely not so much younger than he was, as far as the lifespan of horses go. While still holding the ocarina in his left hand, he reached up with his right and gently stroked the side of her head. Nickering softly, she leaned into the tentative touch of his hand.

"Hello," he murmured. "So are we friends now?"

He struggled to his feet as the filly began nosing the various folds of his tunic as if she expected to find something therein. Quickly, he put away Saria's instrument, for even with such an enchanting distraction, he was all too aware of how careful he must be with the ocarina.

"What's she doing?" he queried almost nervously as he cocked his head in the direction of his fairy.

"Horses like treats. Don't you have something you can give her?"

He cast his eyes about, searching for his satchel and the bag inside which Impa had given him. He eyebrows dipped for all the space of a second, worried that his pack had floated downstream while he was distracted. Then with the flush of embarrassment coming over his features, he remembered that he had shrunk its contents away with Navi's magic. Calling it to him, he fumbled around in the small bag that Impa had given him, realizing that he had no idea what sort of food with which he'd been provided. He grinned, however, when his hand closed around a round, firm fruit.

"Here you go," he said, holding the apple in his palm as he had seen Malon do with a carrot the day before.

The thought that he was giving away such a wonderfully large, ruddy apple hardly occurred to him as he delighted in watching her eat it. He was a little worried that the filly would not realize when she was finished with the treat and inadvertently bite his hand. He scrunched his eyes as she ate down to the last chunk of the fruit, but her teeth hardly touched his palm. Then she took her nose and bumped it against his face again.

"Ahaha! That tickles!" he laughed, shrugging away from her rough, wet tongue.

He petted her head again and she seemed to be looking for another treat. His hands moved to her lovely mane, which was well-kept and only had a couple of leaves stuck in it.

"You're so pretty," he said. "Can I keep her, Navi?"

The fairy moved her own head in a motion that was not too much unlike a shake. "Oh, Link. Did it occur to you that she might belong to someone else?"

His smile faltered as he mumbled something. He still ran his fingers through the filly's mane but his motions were slower, more forlorn, as if he was losing a friend and didn't want to let go.

But Navi, who saw no reason for her charge to be disheartened, said, "Just think. To whom might she belong? Didn't Malon tell you she had a horse?"

The boy's fingers slowed until ceasing movement completely. He raised his head to meet her gaze, and a large grin split his lips as his eyes lit up with excitement. "Yeah!" he cried. "Epona!"

The filly's ears perked at mention of that name. She neighed and again thrust her nose against him with no regard for face or clothes. Again he felt her tongue on his cheek and it tickled him in its roughness. She neighed once more.

Kaepora Gaebora had been watching all this with his large, owlish eyes. "Yes, she belongs at the ranch. Hoo hoo, I will show you the way."

With that, he lifted his great wings and flew up into the air. Link watched with large eyes that betrayed his silent wish that he could take to the skies too. At the sudden rush of wings and air, Epona flinched and tried to hide herself, quite unsuccessfully, behind the boy. Meantime, he seemed to have forgotten he was supposed to do something called following.

Navi entered his line of view and bounced in the air. "Hey, Link! Hurry and gather your things or he'll fly out of sight!"

The child obeyed her command by picking up his empty pack and the flask of water he'd left on the ground. Then he threw his hand up and over Epona's neck and together they began trotting after the great bird, with the fairy fluttering at the boy's other side. As they tramped through the grasses of the field, Link turned his gaze skyward several times, just to make sure they were not getting too far away from the owl. With one hand on the filly's mane, he didn't even think about not having to bear the weight of his pack.

After a bit, the green-clad boy started noticing fences first on one side of the road he was on and then on the other. Some of these fences were at least halfway to falling down, but all he considered was that they would be easier to climb in that condition. In fact, he likely would have done just that, so as to circumvent the winding of the road, but he was quite sure he did not want to leave his new friend. He glanced up to the sky once more and noticed that the owl had ceased making great swooping circles and was flying further away, by which Link knew he nearing his destination.

The boy also goggled the large, spotted creatures on the other side of the fences, animals which he thought might be fat horses. A few of them raised their heads and looked back at him, while most of the others continued to munch at the grass. He could have sworn of the animals made a noise which landed rather peculiarly on his ears.

Navi noticed his roving eyes. "Those are cows," she said, keeping her smile to herself.

The road widened and the child passed under a wooden arch with letters that bore the name of the place he entered. A few buildings of drab colors but in excellent upkeep stood stolidly in the space before Link. A few more fences were at seemingly irregular intervals at certain spots around some of these structures and some of these enclosures housed a horse or two. Several trees welcomed him by the waving of their branches; they were scattered around the area, though a greater number of them provided shade for what he would later learn was the ranch house.

As he took in every detail around him, his eyes alighted on a familiar girl with red hair and yellow neckerchief. She held the reins of a horse much larger than herself as she led the mare around a half-grassy coral. The most amazing thing to Link was how the great creature was so docile under her care and followed her without balk or bite. He would have been at least a tiny bit nervous that the animal would trample him, were he in her shoes.

The girl made another turn around the enclosure, and as she did so she glanced up, whereupon the happy light of recognition arose within her eyes. "Oh, you came, fairy boy!"


End file.
